Reptiles · Squamata · Pythonidae

Green Tree Python

Morelia viridis

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The green tree python is an intensely green constrictor that rests coiled in symmetrical loops over a branch, with its head in the centre. It is a case of almost perfect evolutionary convergence with the Amazonian emerald tree boa: the same colour, the same posture, the same way of life and lineages separated by half the planet. The young are born yellow or red.

Weight

1 kg – 1.8 kg

Size

1.5 m – 2 m

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

RainforestIslandsCarnivore Nocturnal Solitary Reptile Rainforest Islands

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Fun facts

biologíaThe young hatch yellow or reddish and turn green gradually as they mature, an ontogenetic colour change.
The young are born a bright yellow or a brick red and turn green between six months and a year old, a complete change of colour whose function is still debated.
It is a textbook case of evolutionary convergence with the South American emerald tree boa: the same posture coiled in loops over a branch, the same green, the same size and no close relationship.
It hunts by hanging the front of its body in a hook shape and waving the tip of its tail as a lure to draw in lizards and rodents.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
Habitat & environment: Canopy and middle storey of rainforest of New Guinea, neighbouring islands and northern Queensland
Sexual maturity: 3 years
Gestation / incubation: 56 days
Litter / clutch size: 15 eggs

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morelia_viridis