Abstract
This paper deals with a biomechanical study on the adaptive posture of a gliding snake. The “principle of α adaptation” is proposed, describing that a snake moves by adapting its wriggling angle α to the ratio of frictional coefficients between the ventral and the ground surface. Zoological experiments with the snake Elaphe Quadrivirgata show good agreement with the theoretical results derived from the author's kinematics of serpentine locomotion.
