They wanted to ensure nest boxes for Micronesia starlings were kept safe To do this, they experimented with the use of large cylinders called 'baffles' But the snakes overcame them with a never-before-seen form of locomotion The serpents wrap once around the cylinder, wriggling bits of the loop to move A never-before-seen form of snake locomotion — in which serpents use their bodies like a lasso's noose to climb wide poles — has been discovered by experts in Guam. US experts were trying to design snake-proof poles on which nesting boxes for Micronesia starlings could be placed without fear their eggs would be eaten.