Green python is an unusually beautiful reptile with an expressive color and a calm disposition. In the wild, this snake can be met only in New Guinea and on some adjacent islands, as well as on the Australian peninsula of Cape York. 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 contents of these creations.
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This is a relatively small variety of pythons. The length of an adult male is not more than 1.2 meters. Females are usually larger, their largest length is one and a half meters with a weight of 1.3 kg.
It is noteworthy that quite healthy representatives of this species look skinny due to the protruding spine. This is not a signal of any pathology and should not alarm 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 loves to relax. The snake coils and hangs on a branch. This must be remembered by those who intend to equip home serpentarium. It just needs a similar "bed" for the pet.
These snakes live not only on trees. At a young age, they spend most of their time on earth hunting. Some green pythons have even chosen mountainous areas at a level of up to 2 thousand meters.
Diet
Small rodents, lizards, frogs - the main goodies for this snake. It is on them that the green python preys. The description of the natural diet is also important for those who want to tame this creature. In captivity, the reptile needs the same food as it would in the wild.
Like other pythons, green catches and kills the victim through asphyxiation, and then swallows. Scavenger is not interested.
In the terrarium, you must also install a container of water. Thirst for the green python, like for the other snake, is destructive.
Amazing color
Most often in nature there is a bright green color, which determined the name of the species. Some individuals have so bright scales that it seems artificially colored.
But this is not the only color that can be colored green python. Photos of individuals of different races, as well as interracial hybrids are simply amazing.
Currently, scientists distinguish 4 races, each of which occupies its own range. They are not distinguished into independent subspecies. Many breeders also breed albino pythons, completely devoid of pigment. Striking beauty black and green python. This snake is bred artificially, in nature such a color does not occur. Such a pet is a huge rarity.
Home maintenance of pythons: a difficult experience
In our country, the first wave of popularity occurred in the 80s of the last century. But the green python did not make a furor. Moreover, he gained a reputation as a whimsical, difficult to maintain pet.
But the point is 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. Green python, the content of which is not so complicated, is popular among snake lovers. But in order not to repeat the mistakes of the pioneers, such a pet should be prepared 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 same should last the daylight hours of a green python living in captivity.
Choosing a terrarium, focus not on the one that you prefer and can afford, but on the one in which your snake will be well. Many newcomers make the mistake of choosing a vertical house for green python that fits well with other tree snakes. The composition looks beautiful, but in such conditions it is almost impossible to observe the set temperature gradient.
The best choice is a spacious terrarium of horizontal orientation, in which branches and snags are installed. The green tree python loves to perch and is most likely to choose the upper or mid-upper tier. There the snake will feel safe.
It is recommended that the owner install a vertical heater with a rheostat in the terrarium in order to provide different temperatures in the layers - from 25 to 31 degrees. The snake herself will be able to choose a place in which she will feel good. The optimal size of the terrarium is on average 1.2 x 0.6 x 0.45 m. The front display window will allow you to admire the handsome man, but the inner walls are best painted in dark colors. A light background increases the anxiety of snakes, they can be aggressive.
To maintain the required humidity level, spray the snake and the terrarium from the spray bottle daily. Remember: humidity and dampness are two different things. Non-puddling pools on the floor are unaesthetic and unhealthy snakes. Do not forget about the absorbent substrate and plants.
Breeding green python
Home breeding of this species of snakes is not just an exciting process and a profitable business, but also a good contribution to the conservation of nature. Not so many green pythons remain in their natural habitat, despite intensive conservation measures.
The vast majority of snakes that are currently on sale were born and raised in captivity. Keeping them is a lot easier than domesticating the wild. And if you observe the necessary conditions, in the terrarium you can get offspring.
During the maturation of eggs, the female changes color to a more intense one. A clutch usually has about 20 eggs, but in rare cases it can be 5 or 30. Some experienced breeders allow the snake to warm the eggs themselves, but the effectiveness of this approach is questionable. Better to trust the incubator. The babies will appear in about 45 days, and the one who has never seen newborn green pythons will be simply amazed!
The color of these snakes in infancy can be brown or red-brown. It happens that in one clutch appear babies of different colors. Young growth needs special care. Experienced experts strongly advise against picking green pythons for up to a year.
Pet menu
The adult green python is quite voracious. His diet can be formed from lizards, food 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, prolapse, apathy, and even death. In nature, an adult healthy 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 appetite problems. You need to feed the kids with daily muscles, one at a time. It is impossible to settle cubs in a common terrarium, young growth should be grown in separate containers, otherwise the appetite will again be upset.
As you can see, the content of green python at home is not such a troublesome thing. If you organize everything correctly, a handsome pet will delight you for several years. And with careful handling, you can even bring up a contact snake, which will gladly bask in the hands of a caring owner.