Green Tree Python

About the Green Tree Python

Quick facts

Scientific name

Morelia viridis^[1]

Size

Average 1.5 m (5 feet) long. The largest recorded was 2.2 m.^[1]

Lifespan

Up to 20 years recorded in captivity.^[1]

Diet

Carnivore. Adults eat mainly mammals and birds.^[1]

Habitat

Tropical rainforest, from sea level to 2,000 m.^[1]

Where it lives

New Guinea and nearby islands, and the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland, Australia.^[1]

Babies

6 to 32 eggs. The mother coils around them and shivers to keep them warm. They hatch in about 50 days.^[1]

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2017).^[2]

Fun facts

• ⭐Green tree python babies hatch yellow or red and turn green as they grow, sometimes overnight.^[1]
• ⭐Heat-sensing pits along its lips help a green tree python find warm-blooded prey.^[1]
• ⭐Young pythons may wiggle their tail tip to lure prey closer.^[1]
• ⭐A mother python shivers to warm her eggs.^[1]

Vocabulary

python

A large snake that kills prey by squeezing it.

ambush

To hide and wait, then attack by surprise.

lure

Something used to attract an animal closer.

arboreal

Living mostly in trees.

warm-blooded

Able to keep a steady body temperature, like birds and mammals.

See it in person

• 📍Montgomery ZooMontgomery, Alabama · Reptile JunctionSee this area on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

1. [1] Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. “Morelia viridis (green tree python).” https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Morelia_viridis/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
2. [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Morelia viridis (Green Tree Python).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/177524/21649845 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.