Species · Arboreal snake
Green Tree Python
Morelia viridis
The iconic emerald coil-on-a-branch python — a spectacular display animal, but a look-don't-handle, humidity-demanding keeper's snake.
Difficulty: Intermediate Printable care sheet →
The green tree python is the reptile world's living jewelry — a coiled emerald draped over a branch in that unmistakable saddle-shaped loop. This is a snake you keep to look at, not to hold: it's arboreal, ambush-minded, and often happy to let you know when you've overstayed your welcome. Give it a tall, planted, humid enclosure with sturdy perches at the warm and cool ends, feed it from long tongs, and admire it. Do that, and you'll have one of the most beautiful animals in the hobby quietly running your living room.
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Care at a glance
| Adult size | 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. |
|---|---|
| Lifespan | Typically 15–20 years in good captive care, with exceptional individuals reaching their mid-20s. |
| Enclosure | 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. |
| Basking / warm zone | 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. |
| Cool side | 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 | Night drop to about 68–72°F (20–22°C) is fine and natural; Dubia advises not letting it fall below 68°F. |
| UVB & lighting | 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. |
| Humidity | 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. |
| Substrate | 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. |
| Diet | 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. |
| Supplements | 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. |
What it's like to live with a Green Tree Python
Keep one per enclosure. Green tree pythons are solitary and best housed alone; cohabiting invites stress, competition, and mismatched feeding. Above all, this is a display animal, not a handling pet — it perches in a defensive S-coil and will strike readily, especially juveniles and freshly disturbed adults. Interact through husbandry, not handling: feed from long tongs, and when you must move it, support from below and go slowly rather than grabbing. Well-socialized captive-bred adults can become tolerant, but "look, don't handle" is the honest default. Mind the tail — it's delicate and damages easily.
Your first month together
The settling-in period, in order — so you know what's normal and when not to worry.
- Build and dial in the enclosure BEFORE the snake arrives: set perches at the warm (80–86°F) and cool (70–80°F) ends and run it for a week with a probe thermometer and hygrometer until temps and humidity hold steady.
- Let a new GTP settle undisturbed for 1–2 weeks — no handling, minimal fuss. Stress is the #1 cause of a shaky start.
- Offer the first meal only after it's calm and settled; feed from long soft-tipped tongs and don't be alarmed by a dramatic strike — that's normal.
- Mist in the evening and confirm the enclosure dries back down before the next misting; standing-wet + poor airflow is what causes respiratory trouble.
- Provide a bowl of clean fresh water at all times and change it daily.
- Find an exotics/reptile vet now and note the nearest emergency option, so you're not scrambling if something looks off.
Through the year, and as they grow
In the wild, GTPs travel and are far more active than their curled-up reputation suggests (roughly 50 m / 164 ft a night). In captivity, a mild natural night-time temperature drop is healthy year-round. Dedicated keepers sometimes introduce a subtle seasonal cool-down and humidity/photoperiod shift to cue breeding, but that's an advanced, intentional project — a pet GTP needs no deliberate brumation, just consistent conditions with a normal day/night rhythm.
The pet store gets these wrong
Common myths, kindly corrected — no shame for having believed them.
- "They're bitey and unhandleable." They're defensive, yes — but a respectfully kept, captive-bred adult can become quite tame. The fix is choosing captivity over handling as your relationship, not forcing taming.
- "They sit on a branch all day doing nothing." ReptiFiles notes wild GTPs travel an average of ~164 ft (50 m) per night — they're genuinely active snakes, just at dusk and dark.
- "Green tree pythons are basically the same as emerald tree boas." Different animals on different continents (python from New Guinea/Australia vs. a South American boa) that evolved the same look — classic convergent evolution, not close relatives.
- "UVB is pointless for a tree python." It isn't strictly required, but it's a real welfare upgrade and modern keepers increasingly provide low-level UVB (UVI ~2–3) — 'optional' is not the same as 'useless.'
- "Higher humidity is always better." Constant soaking-wet air with poor ventilation causes scale rot and respiratory infection. The target is humid-but-drying, not a swamp.
Before you buy
- This is a look-don't-handle snake. If you want a reptile to hold, a GTP will disappoint (and occasionally bite) you.
- Buy captive-bred from a reputable breeder — calmer temperament, healthier animals, and no wild-collection ethics baggage.
- You're committing to 15–20+ years and precise husbandry: real thermal gradient, high-but-ventilated humidity, and a tall perched enclosure.
- Budget for the setup before the snake: tall front-opening enclosure, quality thermostat, thermometer + hygrometer probes, perches, and ideally UVB.
- Line up an exotics/reptile vet in advance — respiratory infections in this species are serious and husbandry-driven.
- Feed with long soft-tipped tongs, always — plan your feeding routine around never putting a hand near a striking snake.
💷 The green tree python itself is usually the cheapest part — see the real cost of keeping one (upfront + ongoing, no sales pitch).
See a reptile vet if…
We can't diagnose from afar — but these are the signs to stop watching and get a professional:
- 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.
Heading in? Print the free Green Tree Python vet-prep sheet — what to bring, what to tell the vet, and the questions to ask.
Never
- Never use a hot rock or an unguarded heat source the snake can coil against — thermal burns are a top GTP injury.
- Never handle for the sake of it, or grab from above — you'll stress the snake and likely get struck; support from below only when you must move it.
- Never feed with your hands — always use long, soft-tipped tongs.
- Never keep two green tree pythons in one enclosure; they're solitary.
- Never let the enclosure sit permanently soggy or poorly ventilated — that's how you get scale rot and respiratory infection.
- Never let temperatures run cold; a chronically cool snake can't digest and is prone to infection.
- Never yank at a retained shed or a snake clamped on a perch — patience and proper humidity, not force.
Common green tree python questions
How hard are Green Tree Pythons to keep — are they good for beginners?
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.
What do Green Tree Pythons eat?
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.
How big an enclosure do Green Tree Pythons need?
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.
What basking temperature do Green Tree Pythons need?
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.
What should the cool side be for Green Tree Pythons?
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.
What night-time temperature do Green Tree Pythons need?
Night drop to about 68–72°F (20–22°C) is fine and natural; Dubia advises not letting it fall below 68°F.
What UVB and lighting do Green Tree Pythons need?
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.
What humidity do Green Tree Pythons need?
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.
What substrate do Green Tree Pythons need?
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.
What supplements do Green Tree Pythons need?
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.
How big do Green Tree Pythons get?
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.
How long do Green Tree Pythons live?
Typically 15–20 years in good captive care, with exceptional individuals reaching their mid-20s.
What are the signs Green Tree Pythons are sick or need a vet?
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..
Your first two weeks · Taming & handling · Behaviours explained · Won't eat? · Stuck shed · When to see a vet
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This guide was written and fact-checked against these authorities. It's kind, general guidance — not a diagnosis or a substitute for an exotics vet:
- ReptiFiles — Green Tree Python Care Sheet — Primary authority: enclosure minimum (3'x2'x2'), temps (basking 80–86°F, cool 70–80°F, night 68–72°F), humidity 40–70%, UVB nuance (UVI 2.0–3.0, welfare-recommended), size (up to 63 in), lifespan 15–20 yr, feeding schedule, activity myth (~164 ft/night), tong-feeding, temperament.
- Reptiles Magazine — Green Tree Python Care Sheet — Corroborates size (4–6 ft), lifespan (mid-teens to mid-20s), basking 86–88°F, cool retreat 78–80°F, night not below 70–72°F, humidity 40–70%, age-based feeding, handle-from-below.
- Dubia.com — Green Tree Python Care Sheet — Corroborates enclosure 36"x24"x24", temps (basking 80–86°F, cool 70–80°F, night not below 68°F), humidity 40–70%, substrate depth, UVB bulbs, feeding frequency, perch diameter, delicate-tail note, solitary/temperament.
- Merck Veterinary Manual — Bacterial Diseases of Reptiles — Vet source for respiratory-disease and stomatitis clinical signs (open-mouth breathing, nasal/glottal discharge, oral petechiae/caseous material) and husbandry contributors (temperature, moisture, hygiene) informing the vet-flag triage.
Written and fact-checked by The Baskden Team against veterinarian-authored sources — if your reptile shows a red-flag sign above, see an exotics vet promptly.