Green Tree Python

Overview

Green tree pythons are slim snakes with a large head and a long, grasping tail built for life in the trees ¹². Adults are about 5 feet long and can reach 7 feet, with females usually larger ¹². They live about 15 years in the wild and up to 20 in human care ¹². Chicago Exotics describes them as more of an "ornamental" species for most keepers. They are for watching more than handling ¹. They are often confused with South America's emerald tree boa, which looks similar but is unrelated ¹.

Natural history

Green tree pythons live in the rainforests of New Guinea, eastern Indonesia and Australia's Cape York Peninsula ¹². They rest coiled over horizontal branches and wiggle the tail as a lure. They hold on with the tail when they strike, and find prey by sight and heat-sensing lip pits ². Wild green trees eat mostly small mammals and reptiles ².

Babies hatch bright yellow, red or red-brown and turn green over the following months ¹².

Enclosure

• Go vertical. The enclosure should be fully arboreal, ideally a purpose-built tree enclosure rather than an aquarium ¹.
• Size. About 3 × 2 × 2 ft for adults. Young snakes can start in 20 to 30 gallons ¹.
• Perches. Offer angled branches for exercise. A few must be horizontal and thick enough for the snake to coil and drape over ¹.
• Cover. Dense foliage gives hiding places, especially for youngsters ¹.
• Waterproof and ventilated. Screen improves airflow but makes humidity harder to hold. A small fan can help if you monitor humidity closely ¹.

Temperature & lighting

Green tree pythons suffer heat stress, and too much heat causes regurgitation ¹. Use a thermostat with thermometers at the basking spot, mid-height and the floor ¹. Radiant heat panels suit tall enclosures, and ceramic emitters give light-free heat at night ¹. UVB isn't required for calcium, but a low-output bulb offers health and behavioral benefits ¹.

Humidity

Keep humidity at 50 to 70%, measured with a hygrometer ¹. Live plants, misting or fogging systems, large water dishes or a room humidifier all help ¹.

Substrate

With this much humidity, change substrate often to prevent mold ¹. Newspaper replaced daily or reptile carpet works well, as does orchid bark stirred daily and changed weekly. Never use cedar or pine ¹. Bioactive vivariums with live plants and drainage work but take diligence ¹.

Diet & supplementation

• Prey. Frozen-thawed mice and rats, pre-killed for safety ¹².
• How often. Hatchlings and juveniles every 7 to 10 days, adults about every two weeks ¹.
• Heat and meals. Overheating causes regurgitation ¹.
• Droppings. Many green trees only pass stool every second or third meal, which is normal ¹.

Handling & temperament

Green tree pythons are aggressive hunters and are best kept as display animals ¹. If you must move one, let it climb off its perch onto a hook or branch. Wash your hands afterwards: reptiles and feeder rodents can carry Salmonella ⁵.

Health

Common issues

• Regurgitation from excess heat ¹.
• Respiratory infections, mouth rot and parasites ⁴.
• Inclusion body disease, a serious, incurable viral disease of pythons and boas. Quarantine new snakes strictly ⁴.

When to see a vet

Call your vet for stuck shed, noisy breathing, weight loss, lumps or a month without food. Open-mouth breathing or an unresponsive snake is an emergency ⁶.

Breeding overview

Green tree pythons usually mature at about two years and have no fixed breeding season ². Females fast during gestation ². Breeders sell bloodlines labeled by origin, such as Sorong, Biak, Merauke and Aru ¹.

Legal & ethics

Morelia viridis is listed on CITES Appendix II ³. Choose captive-bred animals of documented origin.

Sources

1. Green Tree Python Care · Chicago Exotics Animal Hospital
2. Green tree python · Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
3. CITES listing: Morelia viridis · Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and CITES Secretariat)
4. Common Diseases of Pet Snakes · VCA Animal Hospitals
5. Salmonella, Feeder Rodents, and Pet Reptiles and Amphibians · U.S. Food and Drug Administration
6. When Should My Reptile See a Veterinarian? · Tree of Life Exotic Pet Medical Center

Last reviewed 2026-10-24 by Novel Fauna. This guide is general husbandry information, not veterinary advice. When an animal is sick, see a veterinarian experienced with exotic animals.

Revision history

1. 2026-10-24 Library: 50 cited care guides, /library/[slug] route, coming-soon cards, SLUGS.txt synced to species.guide_slug 228ce54

Evidence grades: Novel Fauna editorial: source classification, not yet expert-reviewed, 2026-10-25. What the grades mean.

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