Green Tree Python care requirements are a little tricky for beginner reptile keepers. This is largely due to their high humidity requirements and arboreal lifestyle.
The Green Tree Python can be found in New Guinea, parts of Indonesia and on the Northern tip of Queensland, Australia in the Cape York Peninsula. As its name suggests, the Green Tree Python is generally a vibrant Green snake, but they can come in a wide variety of colors. It is an arboreal snake, that spends most of its time sitting on tree branches with a very distinctive posture.
The Australian population are considered to be a different sub-species with white markings along its backbone, while snakes from New Guinea and Indonesia only sometimes have this trait.
Just like all Pythons, the Green Tree Python is a non-venomous constrictor snake, meaning it kills its prey by coiling its muscular body around the prey and constricting it until it suffocates. These snakes are often kept as pets, but they are more suitable for experienced hobbyists as they require good control over temperature and humidity and can be very difficult to handle.
Green Tree Python Description
Juvenile Green Tree Pythons are generally yellow, red or orange in colour. As they get older, their colour usually changes to the bright green shown in most adults. Some specimens keep their bright-yellow juvenile colours, and some even turn blue. Watching the colour transformation of these amazing snakes is one of the most fascinating aspects of owning one. The colour transformation can be complete by the time the snake turned 1 years old.
Adults are usually bright to emerald green in colour with a cream belly. They usually have a complete or broken set of white or yellow scales running along the vertebral line. Many specimens will have spots of the same colour scattered over its body.
They are relatively slim bodied snakes with large tails and a very pronounced diamond-shaped head that is clearly defined from the neck. Their body is triangular in cross section with a visible spine. They generally grow to about 5-6ft in length and weight between 1.4kg and 1.6kg. Like many reptiles, females are generally slightly larger than males.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Green Tree Python can be found in New Guinea, parts of Indonesia and on the Northern tip of Queensland, Australia in the Cape York Peninsula. Their natural habitat consists of Tropical Jungles, Rainforests and Monsoon Forests.
These areas consist of very thick vegetation and have very high humidity. It is primarily an arboreal snake and can be found in trees, sitting as much as 30m above the ground.
There are many other common reptile species found in New Guinea including the Bismarck Ringed Python, the Boelen’s Python, the Red Eyed Crocodile Skink, the Viper Boa and the White Lipped Python.
Green Tree Python Behavior
Green Tree Pythons are non-venomous snakes that feed on birds, lizards and small arboreal mammals. Adults can sometimes wander down on to the ground in search of terrestrial rodents as well.
They spend most of their lives living in the trees where they will loop a coil around a branch and place their head in the middle. They tend to get very agitated and are known to bite when someone or something provokes them. Females can become very aggressive when they are protecting their eggs.
The Green Tree Python is regarded as the most arboreal if the python species. As adults, they are nocturnal and hunt primarily at night while juveniles tend to be diurnal, hunting smaller prey that is active during the day.
They tend to display two distinct postures. While resting, the snake tends to coil its body up and hang on a horizontal branch. This is the trademark “pose” the snake is often depicted in for pictures. While hunting, the front of the snake is extended from the branch and folded back like an accordion. This provides the snake with the perfect posture to strike at prey from above. The snakes tail and lower body remains securely wrapped around the branch.
Lifespan
There is little information available about the lifespan of a Green Tree Python in the wild. It is believed that they live for about 15 years but further studies need to be carried out. In captivity, they also tend to have a lifespan of about 15 years, with the oldest recorded specimen living for 20 years.
Green Tree Pythons as Pets
Green Tree Pythons are becoming more and more popular in the pet industry. They are popular among reptile enthusiasts due to their stunning range of colours. Witnessing the colour transformation of these amazing snakes is one of the most fascinating aspects of owning one.
These snakes are popular with keepers who are into other Arboreal Snakes such as the Amazon Tree Boa. However, they are becoming more popular with people who have never kept arboreal species before.
Feeding a Green Tree Python
Correctly feeding your snake is an essential part of Green Tree Python care. In the wild, this Pythons diet primarily consists of small mammals, birds, lizards, and frogs. However, in captivity, they will readily consume mice and rats. Hatchlings and juveniles can be fed every 7-10 days while adults only need to be fed roughly every two weeks.
This is a slow growing snake that shouldn’t be fed too often although they are aggressive feeders when the time comes. They sometimes have a tendency to regurgitate their meal which is usually as sign of incorrect temperate or humidity in their enclosure. It is also common for Green Tree Pythons to only defecate after every second or third meal.
You should not feed a Green Tree Python live prey as it can injure your snake. Most prey items fed to snakes have sharp teeth and claws and can injure your snake if he doesn’t eat it straight away. This is cruel for both the snake and the rodent.
The most convenient option is to feed your reptile frozen thawed mice and rats. These are available from most pet stores or can be bought in bulk from suppliers. Another option used by some breeders is to feed freshly killed rodents. This would require you to breed your own supply of rodents and isn’t an option for most people. Never feed your snake wild rodents as they will likely carry disease and mites that can make your snake sick.
Always ensure your snake has a clean supply of water to drink from. This should be changed and cleaned regularly to prevent bacteria build up. Water should be provided in a heavy, shallow bowl to prevent the snake from tipping it over. Well water, bottled spring water, and tap water, are common choices and all have been used successfully. Unless the quality of your tap water has been evaluated, spring or filtered water is the best option as tap water that is very hard or contains toxins can reportedly be dangerous for the snake.
Green Tree Python Housing
Green Tree Pythons are not very active so they don’t require very large enclosures in comparison to their size. A fully grown adult will be more than happy in a 3ft x 2ft x 2ft enclosure, with the 3ft being the height. As they are arboreal snakes, height is the most important aspect of their enclosure. Most of their time will be spent curled up on branches or hanging down from high branches during the night when the snake is most likely to be active.
At a basic level, a GTP setup will consist of 2 or 3 secure horizontal branches (many people use PVC pipe), a heat source (with a connected thermostat), water bowl, and substrate. The enclosure can be as elaborate or basic as you choose providing these primary requirements are met.
Basic setups are easy to clean and sanitise and are more cost effective to maintain. Another benefit is that defecations can be easily spotted and removed. Negative aspects of a basic setup include: they are visually less appealing and can potentially have a lower level of air quality due to the absence of plants. They are also less appealing for the snake as they have less roughage to explore.
The benefits of a naturalistic setup include: they are visually more appealing, have potentially better air quality, and provide a more enriched environment for your snake to live in.
Light and Heat
Like all reptiles, Green Tree Pythons are cold blooded and therefore depend on their surroundings to get heat. In the wild, a reptile will bask in the sun to keep warm. They can then cool down by going into the shade. These conditions can be replicated in an enclosure to help your snake with thermal regulation.
A Green Tree Pythons enclosure should be about 92F at the hot end and 85F at the cool end.
You can provide heat for your snake with a ceramic heat emitter or heat lamp. It should be set up on one side of the enclosure to allow a thermal gradient along the setup. The wattage of the heater depends on the size of the enclosure but it should be connected to and controlled by a good thermostat. As the heat source will be coming from above the enclosure, there will be a thermal gradient as the snake moves lower down in the enclosure.
Hot bulbs can burn a reptile so ensure all heat lamps are covered using a bulb guard. A snake does not feel heat in the same way as a person, so it is possible for them to get nasty burns.
Belly heat is not suitable for a GTP as they are an arboreal species and will not spend enough time on the floor of the enclosure to correctly regulate their body temperature.
It is believed that UVB is not required for Green Tree Pythons as they are a nocturnal species and it is believed they get all their vitamin and calcium requirements from their food. However, it is debatable whether UVB is beneficial for the snake. If you do choose to use UV light in your setup, caution should be exercised. Make sure you don’t use a bulb that is too strong and it might be beneficial to begin with minimal exposure and then gradually increase it over time.
Substrate
When choosing a substrate, you need to keep in mind that the enclosure will require very high humidity. A substrate that doesn’t easily mould is ideal for a Green Tree Python and many people use newspaper or artificial grass. A natural bioactive enclosure with live plants and a good drainage system is also ideal for this snake.
Wood shavings such as orchid bark can be used but must be rotated daily and changed weekly, making it a tedious choice. If you do choose to go down this route, do not use Soft Woods such as Cedar. While it is a very common substrate for small mammals and birds, it is toxic to reptiles. Several species of Cedar are known to be particularly dangerous, such as White Cedar, Japanese Cedar and Western Red Cedar. Pine and other Eucalyptus trees produce aromatic phenols which are reportedly toxic to reptiles.
Shedding
Just like all reptiles, Green Tree Pythons will shed their skin. This is completely natural and does not harm the snake in any way. Younger snakes will shed more frequently as they are growing, but a snake will shed its skin for the duration of its life.
You will notice that your snake’s skin will also be noticeably duller in the lead up to a shed. A GTP can be difficult to handle at the best of times but will get increasingly agitated while it is shedding.
After your snake has finished shedding, do a quick examination to ensure there is no stuck shed. Common areas for stuck shed include around the eyes and the tail. Stuck shed can be easily removed by giving your snake a warm bath. During the bath the stuck shed can be easily rubbed away.
Handling a Green Tree Python
In general, a Green Tree Python does not like to be handled and will often bite if agitated. They are more suitable as a “display snake”. If you do choose to handle your GTP, do so with extreme care as they are known to have delicate spines, especially when young. Aggressive handling can lead to kinking of the spine.
Green Tree Python Breeding
More and more breeders are having success breeding what was once considered a difficult snake to breed. A Female GTP should have a sufficient body weight to undergo the stress of egg production. A good rule is to wait until she is at least 3 years old and 800g before attempting to breed. While males can reproduce much earlier, it is good to wait until they are at least 400g.
A cooling period should be used to trigger a reproductive response. Day time temperatures can be reduced by about 3 degrees while night-time temperatures can be lowered to around 75F. This cooling period can last for about 8 weeks and males can be introduced to the female’s tank half way through this period.
Pairing can continue for the duration of the cooling period. Locking is generally observed at night and a lock can last anywhere from several hours or into the next morning.
After a couple of weeks, the female will generally begin to lose her appetite and her colouration will often become very dull with some specimens turning a predominantly blue coloration. Once ovulating, the female will develop a large bulge in the middle of her body as if she was after eating an excessively large meal. This is an important event to keep note of. This swelling usually only lasts for 12 to 24 hours. At this time she might appear uncomfortable and restless. The pre-lay shed after ovulation will indicate that eggs are due to be laid in two to three weeks.
A nest box should be placed in the female’s enclosure when she becomes gravid. This can be as simple as a lidded plastic container with a layer of dry sphagnum moss, coconut fibre or vermiculite.
A typical clutch size is in the region of 12 to 18 eggs, but clutches of over 30 eggs can be laid. A GTP can lay eggs at any time of the year but spring and summer are the most common times for egg laying.
The eggs should be removed from the nest box and placed in an incubator. Sphagnum moss, Vermiculite and Perlite are the most commonly used incubation media for reptile eggs and have been successfully used for Green Tree Python eggs.
The eggs should be incubated at 87 to 88 degrees and temperatures should not be allowed go above 90F as this can be lethal to the eggs. The incubation period is usually around 50 to 55 days and it is common for the eggs to “dent” around two weeks before hatching. Humidity should be at about 90% for the duration of the incubation period but the eggs should not come into contact with moisture or appear wet.
Once hatched, neonates can be housed individually in a small enclosure with a few perches, a shallow water bowl and a heat source. It is a good idea to keep these enclosures fairly basic at first to make it easier to monitor the snake’s progress. It is important to note that some babies can be notoriously fussy eaters at first.
