The Green Tree Python
Morelia viridis
The green tree python (Morelia viridis) is a species of snake
in the family Pythonidae. The species is native to New Guinea, some
islands in Indonesia, and the Cape York Peninsula in Australia. First
described by Hermann Schlegel in 1872, it was known for many years as
Chondropython viridis. As its common name suggests, it
is a bright green snake that can reach a total length (including tail)
of 2 m (6.6 ft) and a weight of 1.6 kg (3.5 lb), with females slightly
larger and heavier than males. Living generally in trees, the green tree
python mainly hunts and eats small reptiles and mammals.
Tree pythons are a popular pet, and numbers in the wild have suffered
with large-scale smuggling of wild-caught green tree pythons in
Indonesia. Despite this, the green tree python is rated as least concern
on the IUCN Red List of endangered species.