Emerald Tree Python
Morelia viridis • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Pythonidae, Subfamily: Pythoninae, Genus: Morelia, Species: Morelia viridis
New Guinea, several Indonesian islands, and the Cape York Peninsula in Australia.
Look up Emerald Tree Python in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Serpentes, Family: Pythonidae, Subfamily: Pythoninae, Genus: Morelia, Species: Morelia viridis
Conservation
Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, though facing localized pressures from habitat loss and the international pet trade.
Physical Description
Characterized by prominent labial pits along the upper and lower jaws, a distinct triangular head wider than the neck, vertical pupils, and smooth scales. While adults are bright green, this juvenile or sub-adult specimen exhibits mottled brownish-grey and cream patterning.
Size & Dimensions
Specimens typically range from 150 to 180 cm (5 to 6 feet) in total length, with exceptional individuals reaching up to 200 cm.
Habitat
Inhabits tropical rainforests, monsoon forests, and edge habitats, typically spending most of its time arboreal in canopy branches and shrubs.
Diet & Feeding
Primarily preys on small mammals such as rodents, as well as occasional birds, using an ambush hunting strategy by looping coils over tree branches.
Reproduction
Oviparous species that lays clutches averaging 1 to 25 eggs, with females fiercely incubating and protecting the clutch until hatching.
Look-alikes
Often confused with the Green Tree Python's geographic counterpart, the Emerald Tree Boa (Corallus caninus) of South America, due to convergent evolution resulting in nearly identical arboreal morphology and coloration.
Conservation Status
Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, though facing localized pressures from habitat loss and the international pet trade.
Cultural Significance
Appreciated globally in herpetoculture for its striking coloration and specialized arboreal adaptations, and plays a vital ecological role as an apex arboreal predator controlling small mammal populations.
Notable Features
Features distinct specialized heat-sensing pits on the labial scales to detect warm-blooded prey in total darkness, along with a specialized prehensile tail for arboreal locomotion.