ANIMAL: Green Tree Python Morelia viridis Type of Animal: Boa/Python Habitat: Forest, bush, shrubland, tall grassland, swamps, cultivated lands, forest edge Location(s): Indonesian islands of Misool, Salawati, & Aru Islands, New Guinea & nearby islands, E coast of Cape York Peninsula, Queensland. Introduced in Florida. Appearance: Australian type green w/ white scales down dorsal line, hatchlings yellow w/ brown markings. Aru type mossy green or even bluey-green, white scale clusters along dorsal lines along w/ scattered white scales over sides, hatchlings yellow w/ brown markings. Other morphs also occur only in captivity. All types have fairly large head & large angular snout. Males more slender than females. Food/Diet: Small mammals, birds, lizards, smaller snakes, invertebrates Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding from zoos, aquariums, & breeders Lifestyle: Solitary Called: Male Female Young-Snakelet Group-Solitary Weight: Male-2.4-3.1 lbs Female-3.5 lbs Young-1 lb Gestation: 2 months Life Span: 15-25 years Body Length: Male-4 ft Female-6 ft Young-2 ft Tail Length: Male-6.72 in Female-10 in Young-3.36 in Main predators are raptors, butcherbirds, mangrove monitors, dingoes, singing dogs, & quolls. Like other pythons, they squeeze their prey & swallow it whole. Females lay 1-30 eggs per clutch. Young turn green at 6-8 months & reach sexual maturity at 2 years. Potential threats include pet trade, logging, & hunting for meat/skin. However, populations stable. Many indigenous people use these snakes as food source. Fun Fact(s): Great example of parallel evolution-Emerald Tree Boas of S America look & behave very similar. However, emerald tree boas give birth to live young. These pythons tend to be shy & sometimes defensive. They lure prey by wiggling the very end of their tail. Females sometimes aggressively protect eggs. Sometimes known as chondros due to formerly being placed in own genus Chondropython.
