Pepper
Green Tree Pythons are nocturnal (active at night) and arboreal (tree dwelling), a real gem of the rainforest. This utmost stunning species of snake is very popular among reptile hobbyists. As the name suggests, it is predominantly in green color. Although some snakes may be yellow or blue with flecks of black, white and yellow color. Babies are red or yellow with black and white flecks.
There geographical location range from New Guinea, Papua, Iran, Java and reaching as far as the Cape York Peninsula of Australia.
Temperature
Green Tree Pythons require a very slight thermal gradient within the vivarium, meaning they must be allowed to move around the enclosure to find their required temperature. The hot end of the enclosure should be 86-90 degree F while the cool end should be approximately 75-78 degrees F. The ambient air temperature should be around 84-86 degrees F. During the night, a slight decrease in temperature by a couple of degrees is acceptable but not necessary.
Housing
These are tropical pythons, so the enclosure in which they are housed should be suitable for maintaining adequate levels of heat and humidity, without sacrificing ventilation. Traditional glass terrariums with locking screen lids work quite well, as do custom enclosures, and specially manufactured molded plastic cages.
Baby chondros can be comfortably housed individually in a standard 10 gallon terrarium for the first few months of their lives. As your python grows, it will require larger quarters in which to explore and properly thermoregulate. Due to their arboreal and inactive nature, even adult green tree pythons can be housed in relatively small enclosures.
Individual adults are often, and successfully, maintained in enclosures measuring 2 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet. While these "cubes" work very well for professional breeders who have many snakes to house, a slightly larger enclosure would be ideal in the home setting, if space permits.
Bedding
As Green Tree Pythons are arboreal, I do not feel much of an importance on how the snake should react to a substrate. Rather, how the substrate reacts with the enclosure is more important. Newspaper is cheap, easily disposable, soaks in moisture and will also dry out easily. This is for me the easiest and best substrate for Green Tree Pythons. Aspen, bark chips and other wood chips can also be used, but be sure that no mould is allowed to grow and that regular cleaning takes place.
Food
Juvenile Green Tree Pythons are capable of feeding on pinky mice. As they grow, so should their food. I recommend using a food item no larger than the girth of the snake. The girth is the diameter of the widest part of the snake, which should be the middle part of the body. Hatchling Green Tree Pythons should be fed once a week on one or two appropriately sized food items. As they grow, their food should too increase in size, but not in quantity.
Cleaning and Handling
The terrarium should be cleaned as necessary. Any fecal matter should be cleaned out several times a week. The bedding should be completely changed once a month and fresh clean water should be provided at all times. The inside of the terrarium can be cleaned out with an appropriate reptile cage cleaner, we recommend Natural Chemistry’s Healthy Habitat. Always wash your hands before and after handling them.
