Green Python
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Morelia viridis or the Green Python
This jewel of the Cape York Peninsular lives amongst the epiphytes in the forest canopy, where its green colour offers perfect camouflage. Though listed as rare, its distribution is larger than many countries in Europe. Iron Range, where this animal is found, is isolated by the wet season for several months of the year. The Green Python is also found in Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya. The adult Green Python is an arboreal species, preferring by day to rest in a distinctive draped coil over a single horizontal branch. In the evening they feed primarily on birds and rodents, for which they will move to the forest floor.
Juvenile Green Pythons are vastly different in colour to their adult parents. These small animals hatch out of their eggs bright yellow, brick red or brown with the colour of their body actually going through their eye pattern. As these animals reach maturity they go through a colour transformation, ending up as the typical green colour. Juvenile Green Pythons prefer to be closer to the floor of the forest to live and hunt until attaining their adult colours.
They feed primarily on lizards. The little snakes use their tails as a lure imitating a small worm, to catch these lizards. When the lizards come to eat, they become the meal. The Green Python is an egg layer, with up to 20 eggs being laid in one clutch.
Did you know...
- This jewel of the Cape York Peninsular lives amongst the epiphytes in the forest canopy, where its green colour offers perfect camouflage.
- Though listed as rare, the green python's distribution is larger than many countries in Europe. The Green Python is also found in Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya. Juvenile green pythons are vastly different in colour to their adult parents.
- These small animals hatch out of their eggs bright yellow, brick red or brown with the colour of their body actually going through their eye pattern.
Where Green Pythons can be found in Australia:
