Care Sheet
Green Tree Python (Morelia viridis)
Introduction
The green tree python, Morelia viridis, is a small, slender python,
seldom exceeding 1.8m (6 feet) in length, but has been known to reach
2.1M (7 feet). As this species is almost totally arboreal, preferring
to coil over a tree branch than rest on the ground, it may appear smaller
than it actually is.
Green tree python are found throughout New Guinea to the elevation
of 5500 feet, and on nearby associated islands, including Biak, Yapen,
Aru, Daru, Salawati and several islands in the Torres Straits. There
is a small population in Australia in the vicinity of the Iron Ranges
National Park on the Cape York Peninsula.
The typical adult green tree python is generally a bright green as
implied by their name. However, blue or partially yellow examples are
occasionally found . The blue adults are extremely rare. A series of
white or blue dorsal and/or later spots is evident on most . Sometimes
these light areas form an intermittent line down the dorsal surface.
Baby green tree pythons are not the same color as the adults, babies
are born either screaming yellow, a rusty red color, or a dark brown.
As the babies mature, (between six months and a year of age), they begin
to change into the adult coloration which is primarily some shade of
green on the dorsal surface with a cream colored ventral surface. The
green ground coloration can be suffused with different sized areas of
yellow, blue or white; as a result, adult coloration of green trees
is extremely variable.
Housing
 As
green tree pythons are arboreal, they require specialized housing. This
species must have at least one, but preferably more, horizontal branches
in the cage. Green tree pythons are sedentary animals and will spend
most of their time immobile, positioned on top of the branches in a
coiled heap. It’s best to provide branches that are slightly thinner
around than the snake is at its widest point. Better yet is to provide
branches of slightly different diameters, so the snake can choose what
it prefers. It is very difficult to extricate a coiled green tree python
from a branch, one of the best solutions is to have a branch that is
easily detectable from the sides of the cage. This way, the coiled snake
can be removed from the cage if need be by just picking up the branch
it is resting on. Given that Green tree pythons are rather sedentary,
they accordingly do not require a huge cage. A small cage measuring
60cm x 60cm x 60 cm (24x24x24 inches) is adequate, however as with any
reptile, the bigger the cage the better.
Temperature
Cage temperature should be 25-30 Deg C (77-86 deg F) in the summer and
18-30 Deg C (64-86 deg F) in the winter. Ideally a cage should be large
enough to provide an thermal gradient, so the python can decided where
it is most comfortable. Temperatures above 30 Deg C (86 deg F) for long
periods of time should be normally avoided. This species will tolerate
temperatures as low as 18 Deg C (64 deg F) (for example, at night in
the winter), but not for long periods of time if not allowed to warm
up again. Full spectrum lighting is not needed, but few snakes will
look nicer if it is added to the cage.
Humidity
As the green tree pythons is a tropical animal, they require a certaim
amount of humidity as well as an ideal temperature range in their cage.
The cage should have humid air, but it is important that it not be soaking
wet and stagnant, this can encourage fungal infections. The pythons
do very well with a daily misting. This can be done by using a spray
bottle once or twice a day. Alternatively a garden mist spray from a
watering system works just as well. Being arboreal, they generally do
not come out of the trees to drink. They satisfy their thirst by drinking
water droplets that accumulate on their coils. As with all other reptiles,
constant exposure to damp conditions may lead to scale rot or other
skin problems. Care should be taken to allow the cage to dry out on
a regular basis. One of the best ways to monitor humidity in the cage
so the keeper can mist as needed, is to have a humidity gauge inside
the cage. Humidity gauges can be cheaply purchased from reptile suppliers.
Feeding
Green tree pythons generally feed on birds, lizards, small mammals,
including bats, and the young may eat also eat frogs and lizards. They
should be generally fed every 10-14 days. Green tree pythons are notorious
for prolonged hunger strikes of six months at a time or longer. This
should not cause any undue alarm as they are a fairly inactive python.
 Breeding
Green tree pythons are often difficult to breed in captivity. Up to
about 26 eggs may be laid. Hatchlings can be difficult to start feeding
ad are not considered to be an appropriate snake for a beginner.
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