green tree python snake

navigate by keyword : green yellow animal amphibian frog reptile leaf wildlife nature flower plant lizard invertebrate food insect tree python snake morelia viridis species family pythonidae native guinea islands indonesia cape york peninsula australia hermann schlegel 1872 years chondropython common name suggests bright reach total length including tail weight females larger heavier males living generally trees hunts eats small reptiles mammals popular pet numbers wild suffered large scale smuggling caught pythons rated concern iucn red endangered

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. It is 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.