Green python is an unusually beautiful reptile with expressive color and calm disposition. In the wild, this snake can only be found in New Guinea and on some adjacent islands, as well as on the Australian Cape York Peninsula. If you are thinking about acquiring an unusual emerald-colored pet, in our article you will find useful material about the habits, features and home maintenance of these creatures.
View description
This is a relatively small variety of pythons. The length of an adult male is no more than 1.2 meters. Females are usually larger, their greatest length is one and a half meters with a weight of 1.3 kg.
It is noteworthy that quite he althy representatives of this species look skinny due to the protruding spine. This is not a signal of any pathology and should not alert the future breeder. The sharp ridge on the ridge is just a feature.
Green python in the wild
The following photo shows a characteristic pose in which the green python likes to relax. The snake curls up and hangs on a branch. This should certainly be remembered by those who set out to equip a home serpentarium. It simply needs suchPet bed.
These snakes don't just live in trees. At a young age, they spend most of their time on the ground hunting. Some green pythons have chosen even mountainous areas at a level of up to 2 thousand meters.
Diet
Small rodents, lizards, frogs are the main treats for this snake. It is on them that the green python hunts. The description of the natural diet is also important to remember for those who want to tame this creature. In captivity, the reptile needs the same food as it would get in the wild.
Like other pythons, the green one catches and kills the victim by strangulation, and then swallows it. Not interested in carrion.
In the terrarium, you must also install a container of water. Thirst for a green python, as well as for other snakes, is fatal.
Amazing color
Most often in nature there is a bright green color, which determined the name of the species. Some individuals have scales so bright that they appear artificially colored.
But this is not the only color that a green python can be painted. Photos of individuals of different races, as well as interracial hybrids are simply amazing.
Currently, scientists distinguish 4 races, each of which occupies its range. They are not distinguished into independent subspecies. Many breeders also breed albino pythons, completely devoid of pigment. The black and green python strikes with its beauty. This snake is bred artificially, in nature this color is not found. Sucha pet is a huge rarity.
Home keeping pythons: not an easy experience
In our country, the first wave of popularity came in the 80s of the last century. But the green python did not make a splash. Moreover, he has a reputation for being a whimsical, difficult-to-keep pet.
But it's not the snake itself, but the lack of information and little experience. Many snakes died due to improperly organized conditions. Fortunately, today the situation has changed for the better. The green python, which is not so difficult to keep, is popular among snake lovers. But in order not to repeat the mistakes of the pioneers, one should prepare carefully and responsibly for the appearance of such a pet in the house.
Correct terrarium
Daylight hours in New Guinea are long - about 12 hours. The daylight hours of a green python living in captivity should last the same amount.
When choosing a terrarium, focus not on the one that is more to your liking and affordable, but on the one in which your snake will feel good. Many beginners make the mistake of choosing a vertical home for the green python, which works well with other tree snakes. The composition looks beautiful, but in such conditions it is almost impossible to observe the prescribed temperature gradient.
The best choice is a spacious landscape terrarium with branches and driftwood. The green tree python loves to perch and will most likely choose the top or mid-top tier. The snake will feel safe there.
The owner is recommended to install a vertical heater with a rheostat in the terrarium to provide different temperatures in the layers - from 25 to 31 degrees. The snake itself will be able to choose a place in which it will feel good. The optimal dimensions of the terrarium are on average 1.2 x 0.6 x 0.45 m. The front display glass will allow you to admire the handsome man, but it is better to paint the inner walls in dark colors. A light background increases the anxiety of snakes, they can show aggression.
Spray the snake and the terrarium itself daily with a spray bottle to maintain the required level of humidity. Remember: humidity and dampness are two different things. Non-drying puddles on the floor are unaesthetic and harmful to the he alth of the snake. Don't forget absorbent substrate and plants.
Green python breeding
Home breeding of this species of snake is not just an exciting process and a profitable business, but also a good contribution to nature conservation. There are not many green pythons left in their natural habitat despite intensive conservation measures.
The vast majority of snakes that are currently found for sale were born and raised in captivity. Keeping them is much easier than domesticating wild ones. And if you meet the necessary conditions, you can get offspring in the terrarium.
During the maturation of eggs, the female changes color to a more intense one. The clutch usually contains about 20 eggs, but in rare cases it can be 5 or 30. Some experienced breeders allow the snake to warm the eggs itself, but the effectiveness of this approach is questionable. Better trustincubator. The babies will appear in about 45 days, and anyone who has never seen a newborn green python will be amazed!
The color of these snakes in infancy can be brown or red-brown. It happens that in one clutch there are babies of different colors. Young animals need special care. Experienced experts categorically advise against picking up green pythons under a year old.
Pet menu
Adult green python is quite voracious. Its diet can be formed from lizards, fodder mice and rats. It is enough for a domestic snake to feed one rodent once every two weeks. Most pythons are ready to feed at least daily, but overeating leads to obesity, loss of cloaca, apathy and even death. In nature, an adult he althy snake of this species eats even less frequently. For the diet of sexually mature green pythons, it is permissible to use frozen animals, which must be thawed before feeding.
Newborn python cubs need to be “fed”. After birth, many of them have problems with appetite. You need to feed the babies with daily mice, one at a time. It is impossible to settle the cubs in a common terrarium; young animals should be raised in separate containers, otherwise the appetite will be upset again.
As you can see, keeping a green python at home is not such a troublesome business. If you organize everything correctly, a handsome pet will delight you for several years. And with careful handling, you can even bring upa contact snake that will gladly bask in the hands of a caring owner.
