Green Tree Python — care sheet

Intermediate. Not a beginner snake, and not because it's fragile — it's because a GTP is a look-don't-handle display animal with narrow, demanding needs. You have to nail a vertical setup with perches at two temperatures, a real thermal gradient, and humidity that swings high after misting but dries back down, all while respecting a snake that would genuinely rather strike than be picked up. Get the room right and it's a stunning, low-drama tenant; cut corners on ventilation or temps and you'll be at the vet with a respiratory infection. It's the husbandry, not the handling, that makes or breaks this one.

A whole-prey carnivore and ambush feeder: appropriately sized mice and rats (with quail, chicks, or other rodents adding variety). Feed from long, soft-tipped tongs — this snake strikes at warm, moving prey and you do not want your hand in that arc. Frequency by age: hatchlings ~every 5–7 days, juveniles ~every 1–2 weeks, adults ~every 2–4 weeks. Prey should be no wider than the thickest part of the snake.

Adult minimum is a tall, front-opening enclosure of at least 3 ft L x 2 ft W x 2 ft H (36" x 24" x 24"), per ReptiFiles and Dubia; bigger is better for welfare, and vertical height matters more than floor space because this snake lives in the branches. Prioritize a tall, well-ventilated setup — good airflow is what lets you run high humidity without stagnant, infection-breeding air. This is an arboreal, perch-based species; it will almost never come down to the floor voluntarily.

Warm perch / basking zone 80–86°F (27–30°C). This is the temperature of the sturdy horizontal branch at the warm end where the snake will drape and coil to digest — never a hot rock, and never a bare bulb it can press against.

Cooler perch / cool end 70–80°F (21–26°C), giving the snake a true horizontal branch at each temperature so it can thermoregulate by simply shifting which perch it drapes on.

Night drop to about 68–72°F (20–22°C) is fine and natural; Dubia advises not letting it fall below 68°F.

Low/optional but genuinely beneficial — a modern-best-practice choice, not a strict requirement. GTPs can survive without UVB (they don't rely on it for calcium the way a diurnal basker does), but ReptiFiles strongly recommends providing it for welfare, targeting a UVI of 2.0–3.0 in the basking area (e.g., Arcadia ShadeDweller MAX or Zoo Med Reptisun 5.0 T5 HO), on a 12-hour cycle. Adults are crepuscular, so pair modest UVB with a bright, well-lit day; mount over mesh and measure with a Solarmeter rather than guessing.

High but breathing: roughly 40–70%, allowed to spike higher right after an evening misting and then dry back toward ~40% before the next one. The goal is a humid rainforest that ventilates — never a permanently soggy box. Track it with a digital probe hygrometer placed mid-enclosure.

A moisture-holding, forest-floor substrate 2–4 in deep — coconut fiber/husk, ReptiSoil or Eco Earth, plantation soil, or a bioactive mix — to buffer humidity. Since a healthy GTP rarely touches the ground, substrate is mostly a humidity engine; keep it clean and spot-clean promptly, because chronic wet filth is a fast track to skin and respiratory infection.

On an all-rodent whole-prey diet, whole vertebrate prey supplies balanced calcium and vitamins, so routine dusting isn't the driver of health it is for insectivores — proper temperatures for digestion matter far more. If you're feeding a lot of non-rodent items or want a safety margin, a light dusting with a reptile calcium/multivitamin is reasonable; do not over-supplement, especially vitamin D3 if you also run UVB.

Adults commonly reach about 4–5 ft (1.2–1.5 m), with females larger than males; large females can hit roughly 63 in (1.6 m). Reptiles Magazine cites an average range of 4–6 ft. It's a lean, lightweight snake — not a heavy-bodied constrictor.

Typically 15–20 years in good captive care, with exceptional individuals reaching their mid-20s.

See a reptile or exotics vet if you notice: Open-mouth breathing, wheezing, whistling/clicking, bubbling around the nose or mouth, or discharge — classic respiratory infection signs; see an exotics vet promptly.; Sitting lower than usual, refusing food for an extended period, noticeable weight loss, or unusual lethargy.; Redness, swelling, petechiae (tiny spots), or cheesy/caseous material in the mouth — possible infectious stomatitis (mouth rot).; Retained shed, especially around the eyes (retained eye caps) or tail tip, or repeated incomplete sheds — often a humidity problem plus a health check.; Any burn, blister, or wound on the belly/scales — usually a thermal or wet-substrate injury that needs treatment.; Straining, a swelling that doesn't resolve, or regurgitation of a meal — all warrant a vet visit rather than home guessing..