THE ANIMAL FILES

Green tree python

Morelia viridis

Green adults begin life in yellow or reddish colours.

The green tree python rests with coils draped over a branch and its head nestled in the middle. Its tree-dwelling posture resembles that of the emerald tree boa, a different snake from South America.[1]

Follow the evidence ↓
Green tree python
Image: TarnishedPath · Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Resting pose
Coils saddled over a branch[1]
Young colours
Yellow or reddish[1]
Food
Small mammals and some other animals[1]

A perch holds the resting body

One or two loops hang over the branch while the head rests centrally. The long gripping tail also helps anchor the animal when it strikes toward prey. Resting and hunting use the same branching environment in different ways.[1]

Tree life does not imply a bird-only diet

Recorded foods prominently include small mammals, alongside reptiles and some insects. Branches and low trunk positions can provide ambush sites for animals moving nearby. A hunting position alone cannot identify the eventual prey.[1]

Colour changes during growth

Hatchlings can be lemon yellow or reddish with darker markings before developing the familiar green. Similar-looking populations have also been the subject of genetic taxonomic work, so appearance alone does not settle every lineage boundary.[1]

A COMMON MIX-UP

Are all green tree pythons green from hatching?

No. Yellow and reddish hatchlings precede the familiar adult colour.[1]

TRY A LITTLE REASONING

Why include yellow and reddish snakes in a survey of green tree pythons?

Reveal the explanation

Young green tree pythons can be yellow or reddish before becoming green. Searching only for the familiar adult colour could miss the younger animals.[1]

Sources & editorial notes

Adapted and translated from the cited Wikipedia revisions, with source-linked reasoning. Image credit and licence are listed separately above.

Adapted and translated from Wikipedia contributors; exact revisions are linked below. CC BY-SA 4.0

  1. Wikipedia contributors — Green tree python (fixed revision; adapted and translated)
  2. NCBI Taxonomy — Morelia viridis (identity and classification)

Last fact check:

One discovery leads to another

Ball pythonThe ball is a defensive posture.Python regius ↗Burmese pythonAfter waiting for food, its digestive system changes gear.Python bivittatus ↗Common boaA young boa often climbs where a heavier adult stays on the ground.Boa constrictor ↗