About Green Tree Python
Green tree pythons are without a doubt one of the reptilian hobby’s superstars. These pythons spend a lot of time in trees, as their popular name indicates. However, they are not always greenish.
They are available in a variety of hues and may be found in both natural and captive-bred designer varieties. There is now just one recessive morph, the albino.
Appearance
The green tree python does not get its distinctive green color until around 6-12 months old. Juveniles are crimson, bright yellow, or red-brownish when they are hatched.
As they age, their color changes to the vivid green seen in many adults. Some individuals retain their brilliant yellow youthful coloring, while others transition to blue. Each hue is distinct and lovely in its own right. One of the most fascinating aspects of having these lovely snakes is seeing the color change.
This snake has a thin body, a long tail, and a solid, robust head.
Availability of Green Tree Python
Captive-bred green tree pythons have become more common as more individuals succeed in breeding them.
There are several organizations and websites specializing in the species that sell excellent captive-bred specimens. It is vital to identify reliable breeders who can assist you in choosing the proper snake and answering your inquiries.
Inquire about the breeder of a potential pet. Many of today’s green tree pythons come from Indonesian fields.
These species may appear to be healthy at first glance, though they may carry parasites that wreak havoc over time. A local breeder should have robust, well-cared-for pets that have not been stressed by being flown half a world away.
Green Tree Python Size
Hatchling green tree pythons are about 8 to 10 inches long. Adults range in length from 4 to 6 feet, with males always on the shorter end of the spectrum and females being on the longer end.
Males are also often more slim than females.
Green Tree Python Life Expectancy
With proper care, most green tree pythons may survive into their mid-teens. Some have even made it until their mid-twenties.
This is a more delicate and sophisticated species, but prioritizing reptile health and wellbeing, as well as employing the appropriate snake supplies, can guarantee a pleasant, healthy existence in captivity.
Housing a Green Tree Python
The advantage of green tree pythons is that they don’t need to conceal. They are arboreous, as the name implies.
The following are the steps to ensure that you provide your green tree python with excellent caging needs.
Enclosure Type and Size
The vivarium for a green tree python must be at least 560mm (24″) long and 900mm (36″) tall. Green tree pythons should be kept in cages that allow for easy sight so that you may appreciate their elegance. Many glass and plastic snake terrariums with front-opening doors may be adapted to meet the demands of these forest-dwelling snakes.
To help keep the optimum humidity level, you may need to cover up a section of the screen top.
A wooden vivarium would be the perfect containment for this python. This is because wood is a superb heat insulator, making a wooden vivarium simpler to maintain the critical temperatures necessary inside the habitat.
There are two primary reasons for this. First, green tree pythons are not little snakes; they may grow to be 4-6ft long. To live peacefully, they require a comparable proportion of the room.
Second, the vivarium must be long enough to allow for the formation of a temperature gradient. The enclosure should be heated at one end but have enough space between it and the cold end for the temperature to decrease.
One of the most common misunderstandings regarding green tree pythons and arboreal snakes is that their cages must be placed higher.
These snakes prefer the tallest position in tall cages, and their drinking bowls are frequently on the enclosure floor. Quite often, the snake never comes down to drink and ends up getting dehydrated.
When they become energetic, they move horizontally through the trees, rather than up – and – down the branches. Vertical space is significantly less important than horizontal space. The python should reach the bottom of the cage from the tallest point, as a rule of thumb.
The Cage’s Furnishings
Make sure your snake has something to jump on. Provide your snake with a variety of solid branches or perches. Make absolutely sure each of these is securely connected to the bottom of the enclosure.
This will prevent mishaps in which the branch collapses below your snake or slides on top of it.
Aside from the perches, you may scatter some stones throughout the cage to provide your snake with a variety of perching or relaxing places.
If possible, incorporate some real plants. Live plants not only beautify the cage, but also provide natural protection and cover for your snake.
Furthermore, real plants serve to raise the humidity levels in the enclosure.
The Cage’s Substrates
The substrate will be used to coat the bottom of your snake’s enclosure. Green tree pythons thrive in a wide range of substrates, like coconut husk, paper goods, and moistened mulch.
Avoid dusty substrates since they may upset your snake if it inhales them. Choose one that is simple to clean.
Heating and Lighting
Green trees are native to the rainforest and require a humid environment. They, like other reptiles, rely on external thermoregulation to regulate their body temperature. This effectively implies that your enclosure must have both a heated and a cold side.
All of the heat components should be on one part, and the cold part should be on the other. As a result, your green tree may alternate between different temperatures based on its demands.
The hot end basking area should be between 86 and 88 degrees. The cool side might range from 78 to 80 degrees. At nightfall, the temperature might dip below 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The basking lighting should be contained in a high-quality light dome with a ceramic shell that can resist extreme heat and an on/off button.
Use a high-quality temperature meter, such as the Zoo Meds digital temperature gauge. Don’t hazard a guess. You may also regulate your heat source via a rheostat. The utilization of hot rocks is not advised. They have the potential to heat unevenly across a short region, resulting in severe burns.
Humidity
Green tree pythons are prone to dehydration, although their surroundings should not always be moist. Leave a non-porous water bowl with your snake and fill it with fresh water often. A beautiful ceramic pot dish, is a fantastic ornamental option. To prevent bacterial slime from forming, scrub the bowl weekly. The green tree python will indeed be able to shed adequately if humidity levels are kept between 40 and 70 percent.
Maintaining the Cage’s Cleanliness
Make a point of cleaning up any excrement your python has left behind. It should be enough to keep your snake’s habitat tidy.
You should also clean out the entire tank, providing it a deep clean at least on a monthly basis. Each week, you should also replenish one inch of the substrate.
Diet and Feeding Routine
Green tree pythons aren’t choosy about what they consume. A meal consisting of adequately sized rats will suffice.
A tiny mouse should be fed to a young python every few days, usually every 5-7 days.
A meal every 7-10 days would be sufficient if yours is an older juvenile. If you have an adult green tree snake, however, you should feed it a medium-sized rat or a rodent every 10-14 days.
Make sure you don’t overfeed this specie. Since they are relatively inactive, you should keep a close eye on feeding to avoid your python growing overweight and suffering health concerns.
If they are warm enough, juveniles will eat even in the cold. Mature green tree pythons, whereas, generally avoid feeding throughout the winter.
It is absolutely fine to allow your python to skip meals during this period, but you should keep a watchful eye on its weight and wait till your snake resumes eating.
To learn more about Ball Python nurturing in detail, read the article Ball Python Comprehensive care and diet.
Green Tree Python Water Requirements
Rain falls practically every day in the rainforest habitat of wild green tree pythons. Mist bottles or sprinkling systems can be used to imitate rain showers.
Every day, a mild sprinkle across the enclosure encourages the animal to remain active and seek water. Make sure the cage can dry between spraying to prevent bacteria from growing in a persistently warm and damp habitat.
A green tree python frequently swallows water droplets off the cage’s sides and decorations. It is also a good idea to have a bowl of pure, fresh water in the cage. Some snakes like to drink from a higher water dish near their perch.
Temperament
Green tree pythons have earned a nasty reputation throughout the years. They have a tendency for being combative. If you wish to approach your snake, the smartest way to do is to have a detachable perch. The animal can then be removed from its cage without upsetting it from its resting location.
If you wish to handle your snake, reach it from below, which is significantly less intimidating than approaching it from above. Avoid yanking the snake from its perch. Loosen the snake’s coils carefully and extend your arm as an alternative perch. The greenest trees can withstand modest handling.
Aside from the handling, green trees make excellent showcase animals.
Price Of Green Tree Python
The easy accessibility of captive-bred green tree pythons is due to people’s tremendous success in breeding snakes.
The top-ranking ranking includes a private breeder, internet breeding platforms, pet retailers, and reptile exhibits. How much will it set you back? There is no simple answer to this because the price is determined by a variety of factors.
For starters, age is pretty crucial. A full-grown mature green tree python is predicted to price more than a hatchling or youngster.
The price also varies according to the snake’s location. The Biak, which is native to the Indonesian island of Biak, is the most prevalent type of green tree snake.
This cultivar is priced between $275 to $350.
A rare variety of green tree python remains among the world’s most costly python.
Breeding
If a male and female are kept together, they may reproduce. You don’t have to do anything to assist it; as long as they’re fit and the potential exists, it will happen on its own.
A pregnant female should have availability to a nesting box where she may lay her eggs. The container should be spacious enough for her to spin around within. Keep the box damp and humid by using moss.
In an incubator set to 84oF, the eggs should be maintained. The eggs will begin to hatch after around 60 days, and the first babies to appear will urge the remainder of the eggs to develop.
Final Thoughts
It’s simple to understand why this snake is so well-known. Caring for a green tree python is, without a question, a wonderful experience.
Proper care and cage needs, as mentioned, will ensure that your snake has a long and healthy life and prevents most health complications.
FAQs
These snakes are generally easy to care for as pets, although they are not a type that will like to be carried and handled frequently. These exotic show animals are best suited to intermediate to experienced snake keepers.
It is not difficult to keep green tree pythons captive. While they may need a more special arrangement than other widely kept snakes like corn snakes or ball pythons, the effort is well worth it.
Green tree pythons that have been imported are hostile and can bite caretakers. Its 100+ teeth cause severe wounds and rip on the flesh since it is an arboreal constrictor python. An attack from green tree python fangs is unpleasant and may necessitate medical attention.
They are relatively low-energy arboreal (unlike colubrids) and may be effectively maintained together if given a few warm areas in a large enclosure.
