Arboreal snakes have evolved for a life in the aboveground vegetation where they are faced with the challenge of movement through an unstable substratum. Many species have ridged bodies that allow them to bridge gaps in the forest, saving them from descending to the ground and back up another plant. I tested the cantilevering ability of five species of Panamanian snakes in the laboratory and made additional observations in the wild. Even among the most highly specialized arboreal snakes there are differences in mean and maximum cantilevering distance.