Green Tree Python Facts

The green tree pythons are similar to the emerald tree boa. In this article you will learn many green tree python facts. Let me begin with green tree python facts related to their physical appearance.

Appearance
As the name suggests, they are green in color. They have a broken vertebral stripe that is white or dull yellow in color. Some green tree pythons also have blue, white or yellow spots scattered over their body. The green tree pythons can be about 1.6 m to 2.2 m in length.

The green tree python snakes have a slender shaped body with a prehensile tail. This tail helps the snake move between the tree branches. The head of a green tree python is large and wider than their body. They have supralabial scales around their mouth with thermoreceptive pits. The green tree python spends most of his time over the tree branches in a coiled position with its head resting in the center of the coils.

Habitat
The green tree python habitat is the tropical rain forests, swamps and cultivated lands. They are found in the rainforests of New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Aru Islands. They are also found in the very north of Australia.

Temperament
The green tree python temperament has earned it the reputation of being aggressive. This aggressive behavior of green tree python temperament depends on the way it is treated. If you physically restrain the snake or treat it roughly, it is bound to turn aggressive and defensive. The green tree python temperament will remain calm and gentle if you treat it in the opposite manner. However, green tree python as pets is not recommended for a beginner.

Behavior
The green tree python is mostly an arboreal snake that loves to while away his time curled up on the tree branches. They spend the day hidden in safe areas on the ground and may even do some hunting while they are down. The green tree python is a nocturnal, aggressive hunter and he uses his thermosensory pits to track the warm-blooded prey. They use an interesting hunting strategy, wherein, the snake wriggles his tail like a worm or small snake. This confuses birds and lizards and the snake attacks the prey by grabbing them from a distance. They have a wide jaw and enlarged front teeth that helps them hold on to the fast-moving prey.

Diet
The green tree python diet consist of small rodents and small mammals. They slither through the forest decay using their sensory pits to hunt for food. The green tea python also eats birds, lizards and other small reptiles. The green tree snake manages to eat animals that are larger than its mouth size. The snake has a very elastic jaw muscles that allows it to open its mouth more than its actual body size. The green tree python wraps several of its coils around the body of its prey, till it suffocates to death.

Reproduction
The green tree python mates and lays eggs throughout the year. But the breeding season for green tree pythons is from August to December and the egg laying period is from November to February. The female lays her eggs in a tree hole or among the tree roots on the ground. The female wraps her coils around the eggs to raise the temperature with tiny, muscle contractions. There are about 15 to 25 eggs laid in a nest. The green tree python hatchlings have various shades of yellow, red or blue with intermittent stripes and spots. These spots are all over their body and can be white, purple, brown, gold or red in color.

Green Tree Python Care Sheet
You need to keep a green tree python as pet in an enclosure that will provide easy viewing. You can choose a front opening plastic or glass cage. You need to cover a portion of the screen top for maintaining the humidity levels. The green tree python hatchlings and juveniles can be kept in an enclosure that is 1 foot long, 1 foot wide and 1 foot tall. The adult snake can be kept in an enclosure that is 2 feet long x 2 feet wide x 2 feet tall.

You need to provide the green tree python with many branches and perches. Give him an option of multiple climbing branches that help him be active The day temperature should be 86 to 88 degrees and the night temperature should be 78 to 80 degrees. Humidity should be about 40 to 70 percent. You should feed the green tea python hatchlings with a small mouse every five to seven days. The older juveniles and young adults should be fed with a hopper or medium-sized mouse every 7 to 10 days. Adult green tree python can be given 1 or 2 adult mice or a small rat every 10 to 14 days.

Green Tree Python Interesting Facts
Let us now take a look at some of the interesting facts about this amazing reptile.

• The green tree python used to be classified under the genus Chondropython and they were the only members of the group.
• The green tree pythons have now been shifted to genus Morelia, making them share the group with many other Australian pythons.
• The green tree pythons are often called 'Chondros', as an abbreviation of their old genus.
• The green tree python is the best example of parallel evolution. It looks and behaves like the emerald tree boa of South America. However, the major difference between the two is, the emerald tree boa gives birth to live young and the green tree python lays eggs.
• The green tree pythons hatchlings are bright yellow, orange or brick-red in color. They develop their distinct bright green color after about 6 to 8 months.

These were some interesting green tree python facts, that you may find useful. Green tree pythons are popular animals among reptile collectors. They have been listed as a part of CITES Appendix II, that is an international treaty for restricting trade of the listed species. I hope this article on green tree python facts proved to be an interesting read for you.