The green tree python is a strikingly beautiful arboreal python prized for its emerald adult coloration and habit of coiling in a neat saddle over a perch. It is a display-first, look-don't-touch snake best suited to experienced keepers who can hold steady tropical conditions.
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Adults typically 1.2-1.8 m (4-6 ft) total length; slender, arboreal build with a relatively short tail. Females average slightly larger and heavier-bodied than
Lifespan
15–20 years
Social needs
solo
Native region
New Guinea, the Cape York Peninsula of far northern Australia, and surrounding islands of Indonesia
Origin
Old World
Climate
🌴 Tropical
Family
Pythonidae
Genus
Morelia
Part of the Pythons
Pythons are non-venomous constrictors of the Old World tropics and subtropics, ranging from small, beginner-friendly species to giants. Many are hardy, long-lived, and popular in the pet trade, though the largest species carry serious legal and safety considerations.
From the minimum an animal needs to be kept humanely, up to the ideal setup. Bigger is almost always better — minimums are floors, not targets.
Photo coming soon
Minimum
Arboreal enclosure
3 × 2 × 3 ft (≈ 90 gal tall)
Morelia viridis is strictly arboreal. Adult minimum is 3×2×3 ft with horizontal perches at multiple heights, humidity 70–80%, basking 30 °C, cool 24 °C. Front-opening reduces stress.
Photo coming soon
Recommended
Tall planted vivarium
4 × 2 × 4 ft, planted
A 4×2×4 with multiple horizontal perches (they coil draped over branches), live plants, and humidity stability. Low UVB brings out colour. Display species — minimal handling.
Ideal
Bioactive New Guinea forest
4 × 2 × 5 ft, bioactive
Bioactive vertical enclosure with dense canopy, multiple perch heights, live tropical plants, and humidity stability. Closely mirrors their Indonesian/PNG canopy habitat.
Eveha / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Life & growth stages
How this animal changes through its life — each stage often has its own care, diet and space needs.
Photo coming soon
Egg / Neonate
Most reptiles lay leathery- or hard-shelled eggs incubated by ambient warmth, though some snakes and lizards give live birth. Incubation temperature can influence sex and development in many species.
Photo coming soon
Hatchling
Hatchlings emerge as fully formed miniatures of the adult, often using an egg tooth to slit the shell. They are independent from birth but small and vulnerable, and may show brighter or different juvenile patterning.
Photo coming soon
Juvenile
Juveniles grow steadily, shedding their skin periodically as they enlarge. Coloration and proportions shift toward the adult form, and growth rate depends heavily on temperature, diet, and basking/UVB access.
Adult
Adults reach the species' full length and mass and become sexually mature. Many reptiles show sex differences in size, coloration, or features (such as larger heads, hemipenal bulges, or femoral pores), and continue to shed throughout life.
Color & pattern variants
Natural variants occur in the wild; selectively bred (man-made) variants were developed in captivity.
Natural
representative
Biak (locality)
A large, robust Indonesian island locality known for yellow flecking, a yellowish ventral wash, and a more defensive temperament. Often the hardiest of the imported types.
representative
Sorong / Aru (locality)
Mainland and island localities prized for clean emerald coloration; some Aru animals show blue highlights and a high white dorsal line. Popular among collectors for color.
representative
Jayapura / Wamena (high-yellow & blue lines)
Highland New Guinea localities that have been selectively line-bred for high-yellow and blue traits, producing some of the most colorful captive lines.
Habitat & enclosure
A tall, well-planted arboreal enclosure is essential. A single adult does well in roughly 60 x 60 x 75 cm (24 x 24 x 30 in) or larger, with vertical space prioritized over floor area. Provide several horizontal perches of varying diameter at different heights — the snake should be able to drape comfortably with its body supported. Maintain an ambient temperature of 28-30 C (82-86 F) by day with a single warm basking perch around 31-32 C (88-90 F) and a night drop to 24-26 C (75-79 F). Humidity should sit at 60-80%, rising toward the upper end during shed cycles, with good cross-ventilation to prevent stagnant, scale-rot-promoting conditions. Heavy planting (live or artificial) and visual barriers reduce stress in this perch-bound, easily-startled species.
Substrate
A moisture-retentive but well-draining substrate such as cypress mulch, coconut husk, or a bioactive soil mix maintains humidity without staying soaked. The substrate matters less than the perches for this arboreal species, but it must be kept clean and never waterlogged. Spot-clean droppings promptly and replace substrate that becomes soiled or moldy.
Equipment & setup
Use a thermostatically controlled radiant heat source (overhead deep heat projector or ceramic heat emitter aimed at the basking perch) rather than belly heat, since these snakes thermoregulate by basking from above. A reliable thermostat and accurate digital thermometer/hygrometer are non-negotiable. UVB is not strictly required but low-level UVB (e.g., a 5-6% T5 fixture) is increasingly recommended for welfare. Provide sturdy perches, a misting system or daily hand-misting for humidity, and a water bowl. PVC or sealed-wood enclosures hold heat and humidity far better than screen cages.
Diet
An obligate carnivore feeding on appropriately sized rodents. Hatchlings and juveniles often start on pink/fuzzy mice and may need scenting or arboreal presentation (offered up at perch height with feeding tongs). Adults take adult mice to small/medium rats every 10-14 days; juveniles feed more frequently, roughly weekly. Feed prey no wider than the thickest part of the body and avoid overfeeding, as captive GTPs obese easily. Many individuals feed best after dark and may strike from the coil, so use long tongs and good technique.
Behavior & temperament
Primarily nocturnal sit-and-wait arboreal ambush predators. Green tree pythons are not aggressive but are defensive and bite readily when disturbed on the perch; they have long, recurved teeth that inflict a startling bite (non-venomous, but the wound can be deep and bleed freely). They are emphatically a display animal — frequent or careless handling causes stress, regurgitation, and bites. When handling is necessary (cleaning, vet visits), lift the snake supported on its perch or scoop from below rather than reaching over the head. Hatchlings (often yellow or brick-red) are especially nippy.
Health
Respiratory infections are the most common health problem, usually from inadequate temperatures, poor ventilation, or chronically high humidity — open-mouth breathing, mucus, or wheezing warrants a vet. Scale rot and skin infections arise from wet, dirty perches and substrate. Regurgitation is frequently linked to handling too soon after feeding or temperatures that are too cool to digest. Obesity and kinking of the spine from overfeeding shorten lifespan. Quarantine new arrivals and screen for the snake-relevant parasites and nidovirus where available.
Tips, DIY & hacks
Get the perches right first: the ideal perch diameter lets the snake coil with its sides just meeting. Set a stable thermal gradient and verify it with a temp gun before adding the animal. Resist the urge to handle — a GTP that perches calmly and feeds reliably is a healthy, well-kept GTP. Mist in the evening to mimic natural humidity cycles and support shedding. Buy from a reputable breeder and ask about locality (Biak, Sorong, Aru, Jayapura) and feeding history; captive-bred animals adapt far better than imports. Note that Morelia viridis is CITES Appendix II and protected under Australian and Indonesian export law, so verify that any import paperwork is legitimate and that the animal is captive-bred rather than wild-caught.
