Green Tree Python Hang Tens (Enclosure) by TheBootesArtVoid on DeviantArt (original) (raw)

Species Name: Green Tree Python

Species Latin Name: Morelia viridis

Native To: New Guinea, some islands of Indonesia, and the Cape York Peninsula in Australia

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Photo Taken At: Sealife Melbourne Aquarium

Size (length): 1.5 – 2m (4.9 – 6.6 feet)

Weight: 1.1 – 1.6kg (2.4 – 3.5 pounds)

Lifespan: 12-20 years

Population Trend: Stable

Diet: Carnivore

Lifestyle: Arboreal, ambush predator, precocial, terrestrial, oviparous

Group Name: Den, nest, pit, bed, knot

Female Name: Female

Male Name: Male

Baby Name: Snakelet

Mating Behaviour: Unknown

Reproductive Season: Unknown

Pregnancy Duration: 39 – 65 days

Eggs Per Clutch: 6-32 eggs

Incubation Period: 40-60 days

Independent Age: At birth

Age of Sexual Maturity: 2-3 years

Description:

The Green Tree Pythons are characterized by their bright green scales, relatively thin bodies, large well defined heads, and their long prehensile tails that make up 14% of their bodies which assist them with climbing trees. These snakes will have a more yellow colouration to their bodies and some individuals of this species may feature white markings dotted throughout their backs. The females are generally larger and heavier than the males. Juvenile's of this species have been recorded to at times come in different colour variations of either bright yellow or brick-red.

Diet:

Like most other snakes and pythons these snakes are exclusively ambush predators and will typically wait for their prey to approach within range of them, typically these pythons will wait in ambush in the same location for 14 days at a time before moving to another ambush site. Their diet will consist of small mammals such as rodents, they will also target other reptiles such as geckos and skinks. The juveniles of this species have been observed to use 'caudial luring' where they use the ends of their tales to lure in prey closer to them. Naturally the juveniles will take in smaller prey but as they grow into adults the shape of their maw will increase, as they age and grow they will be able to target and consume larger prey. These pythons will use their labial pits which allow for infrared imaging and their eyesight when searching for prey, they can often be found in tree branches waiting for their next meal.

Behaviour:

These snakes like many other species of snake lead very solitary lives and will generally only interact with one another for mating purposes. It is believed that they will rely on their sense of smell and the deposit of pheromones in order to gather information about other snakes around them rather than their sense of sight. Whether or not these snakes are active during the day depends largely on what kind of prey they can take in. The juveniles that have yet to have the colour of their scales change will be active during the day when the smaller prey are more active, likewise the older, larger specimens will be active during the night when the larger prey animals are more active. These snakes will mostly live sedentary lives as ambush predators, whilst they will generally have peak periods of movement during mating season the adults will move as frequently as the juveniles. These snakes will typically be seen in one of two positions, a resting position or a hunting position. Generally these snakes will be seen in a resting position where they will coil around a branch to secure their position, this position is the most common position to be photographed. The less commonly seen position is their hunting position where they will hang down from the branch with their bodies coiled up like a dangling accordion or slinky, this allows them to be ready to strike at a moments notice at the ground below.

It appears that only the females have an active home range or territory as the males seem to wander more, this is likely so that the males can actively seek out a mate during breeding season. Unfortunately not much is known about the actual reproduction system of these animals in the wild, most of what is known about these pythons reproduction has been recorded in captivity only. There isn't much sexual dimorphism between males and females other than the females being larger than the males, it is believed that it is unlikely that the males engage in territorial or rival conflicts with other males like other snake species do. The Green Tree Python's are oviparous and the female will lay 6-32 eggs per clutch. Whilst it has never been recorded in the wild, in captivity the mother will incubate and protect the eggs until they hatch after 40 to 60 days of being hatched. The young do not receive any kind of parental care once they hatch and they will generally reach sexual maturity at around 2-3 years of life.

Threats:

The Green Tree Python is subject to predation by a variety of different animals such as owls, butcherbirds, raptors, monitors, dingoes, and quolls. These pythons rely on the colouration of their scales as well as their general sedentary lifestyle and lack of movement to blend into their surroundings, this tactic works particularly well against visually oriented bird predators. The change in colour of the scales from juvenile snakes to adult snakes also work for this purpose as well, juveniles will typically spend be more active during the day whilst the adults are more active at night.

List of known predators for the Green Tree Python:

Rufous Owls or the Roufous Boobook (Ninox rufa), Conservation Status: Least Concern

Black Butcherbirds (Melloria quoyi or Cracticus quoyi), Conservation Status: Least Concern

Chestnut-shouldered Goshawks (Erythrotriorchis buergersi), Conservation Status: Not Available/Data Deficient

Black-mantled Goshawks (Accipiter melanochlamys), Conservation Status: Least Concern

Grey-headed Goshawks (Accipiter poliocephalus), Conservation Status: Least Concern

Grey Goshawks (Accipiter novaehollandiae), Conservation Status: Least Concern

Meyer's Goshawks _(Accipiter meyerianus),_Conservation Status: Least Concern

Long-tailed Honey Buzzard (Henicopernis longicauda), Conservation Status: Least Concern

Doria's hawks also known as Doria's Goshawk (Megatriorchis doriae), Conservation Status: Near Threatened

New Guinea harpy eagles also known as Papuan eagle, Papuan Harpy Eagle, and the Kapul Eagle (Harpiopsis novaeguineae), Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Mangrove Monitors also known as Mangrove Goannas and Western Pacific Monitor Lizards (Varanus indicus), Conservation Status: Least Concern

Dingoes (Canis familiaris, Canis familiaris Dingo, or Canis lupus Dingo), Conservation Status: Vulnerable

New Guinea Quolls also known as New Guinean Quoll and New Guinea Native Cat (Dasyurus albopunctatus), Conservation Status: Near Threatened

Due to the bright colouration of the scales of this species it has become quite popular in the pet industry, so much so that in Indonesia they are bred in a captive setting to be sold off as pets. Despite this it appears that there is still a strain on the wild population as a small number of wild snakes are taken illegally each year to be sold off as pets. These snakes are also hunted by the local people of New Guinea for food.

For the time being this animal is not listed in either the IUCN or the CITES database as being a species under threat however, there are concerns that in the future the numbers of this species will fall for a variety of issues such as further capture of wild snakes for the pet trade, habitat degradation due to logging as well as slash and burn agriculture. For now it appears that their numbers are stable although there isn't sufficient data to truly determine their exact number, until further data is obtained it may be difficult to truly determine how at risk this species is or not.

Further Reading (general information):

Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_tr…

Kidadl: kidadl.com/animal-facts/green-…

Kidadl Extra Teeth Facts: kidadl.com/fun-facts/green-tre…

Animalia: animalia.bio/green-tree-python

Animal Diversity: animaldiversity.org/accounts/M…