Morelia viridis (Green tree python)

Origin: Northern Australia (Cape York), islands in the east of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea
Length: 1.2 to 2 meters
Age: up to 20 years
The Morelia viridis is a slender python species that is a good tree hunter with its green camouflage color. During the day it will usually hang on a branch in a kind of rolled-up S-position so that it can strike quickly when it sees prey. At night it is more active and will also crawl over the ground to look for food. The eyes are yellow with a vertical pupil, just like a cat. Young animals are yellow or red. As they get older, the yellow or red color changes to green.

Grooming
Experience: Experienced snake keeper
Food: Live or dead prey.
Feed adult: Every 18 to 21 days.
Feed young: Every 7 to 8 days
Water bowl: Yes
Change the water: 3 times a week

Nutrition
The Green Tree Python is just like the other python species a real choke snake, so it can also eat prey larger than its head. In captivity they do fine on a diet of rats and mice. However, young animals are more difficult to get on pinkies, this is because they naturally eat lizards and other reptiles. So they literally have to learn to eat it. It is advisable to offer dead food animals. This is more practical and prevents the food animals from injuring your snake. We recommend that you present the food animals with a pair of tongs and that you feed your snake outside the enclosure. This has the advantage that your hand is not associated with food.

If you do go for live food, you must supervise the feeding. If you keep the Green Tree Python together with other snakes, you will have to take them apart before feeding, because it sometimes happens that the snakes injure each other during feeding.

In captivity, Green Tree Pythons can become obese, so it is important that you regularly weigh your snake and adjust feeding accordingly. Obesity is associated with various other diseases and health problems.

Water
The Green Tree Python originates in areas where the humidity is very high, so it is very important to keep the terrarium moist and to spray it with water every day. It is useful to place a water bowl in the terrarium where the hose fits in its entirety. Not only to drink, but also to bathe in, although the snake will not do this so quickly. In order to allow taking a bath, the water bowl must be large enough for the python to be able to lie in it with its whole body and preferably even larger itself.

Cleaning
A hygienic living environment is important to keep your hose healthy. In order to achieve this, the accommodation will have to be cleaned regularly. Cleaning once a week is regular enough. In addition, to prevent the build-up of bacteria, the entire accommodation must be cleaned and disinfected a few times a year.

Handling
Your snake will have to be handled to feed the Green Tree Python and to clean the enclosure. This must of course be done properly so that the snake and you are safe. Handle the hose with a hose hook or lift it with both hands. Do not hang your snake around your neck, because if the snake falls it will soon clamp itself around your neck. In addition, there are some important things to pay attention to when handling a Green Tree Python. First, make sure your snake realizes that you are going to handle it and move gently when you handle it. Also make sure your hands are washed and don't smell like food. Finally, do not handle your snake when it is shedding and do not handle it in the dark.

Housing
Minimum enclosure size for 1 snake: 80 x 60 x 60
Laying surface: 1m2 with at least one raised stick per hose for the hose to lie on.
Day temperature: 27-32C
Night temperature: 24-27C
Hours of light: 12 hours
Humidity: 75%
Ground cover: Newspapers, bark or peat litter

Design
The Green Tree Python is not a very active snake, but likes to keep heights, because it always hangs naturally in trees during the day. They do need enough exercise options in their enclosure. This is best offered in the form of climbing branches. The more climbing branches, the better it is for the snake. In addition, the water bowl must be large enough for the hose to bathe in. Also make sure that this water bowl is stable so that they cannot knock it over. Finally, the hose must be allowed to pull away. You can achieve this by offering the snake hiding options in the form of an upside-down flower pot or an artificial cave. This species will not make use of this too quickly, but it is nice to offer the snake the opportunity to hide. 

Before the stay, there are some extra things that need to be taken into account. Once active, the Green Tree Python is, for example, quite good at escaping and it will have to be ensured that they cannot just open their door. You can do this by putting a lock on the accommodation. In addition, ventilation is required to keep the air fresh and it is advisable to place the accommodation out of the bright sun and as vibration-free as possible.

Behaviour
Hunting method: Strangulation snake
Lifestyle: Semi-arboreal & nocturnal

Character
The Green Tree Python is a somewhat more stress-sensitive snake that does not appreciate being handled, but is generally a quiet snake that certainly does not move much during the day, because in the wild it also hunts at night.

Points of attention The Green Tree Python is able to eat prey larger than its head. For a large snake, these can even be other pets such as rabbits, guinea pigs, etc. Therefore, never leave your snake alone with other pets. It is also important that the snake can choose between a warm and a less warm side of the terrarium.

Costs and Purchase
Legislation: The Green Tree Python falls under CITES II, to own this snake you need CITES or transfer papers. You should get this with the purchase.
One-off costs: This includes the costs for the accommodation, lighting, heating, water bowl and decoration. All together this can cost a few hundred euros to a few thousand euros. The final amount depends on the quality and size of the products.
Fixed costs: Fixed costs include the costs for the feed, this is several tens of euros per year.
Unexpected costs: Costs have been incurred when your snake happens to get sick or your equipment breaks down.