Green Tree Python
The aptly named Green Tree Python lives in the hot, humid
conditions of northern Australia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
The vivid green scales for which it is named help to camouflage
them amongst the lush foliage of their rainforest habitat.
Often found looped over a tree branch in a tight coil, they rest
their wedge-shaped head right in the middle. A nocturnal species,
they shelter in tree hollows by day, feeding upon small mammals and
birds by night. To help them find prey in the dark, Green Tree
Python's have heat-sensitive organs called thermosensory pits
located on their lower lip.
Reaching a maximum length of six feet, the Green Tree Python
starts life yellow (in Australia) and brick-red (in Papua New
Guinea), changing to their striking green colour over a period of
weeks as they mature.
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