Breeding Green Tree Pythons

In 1983, I bought a pair of baby green tree pythons (from the first clutch produced at the Harford Reptile Breeding Center). They bred successfully in 1986, initiating my full-fledged CHONDROMANIA. Since then, I have compiled a collection of 22 spectacularly colored animals, with a passion for specimens with highly contrasting blue patterns (my "NATURES' MARVELS"). Adult coloration is highly variable, and quite different from the babies who can hatch fluorescent yellow, brick red, or chocolate brown all in the same clutch. Some adults appear painted in pastels of green, blue, yellow, and beige, with other areas of pure black and white, all in one animal! Others may have deeply contrasting rich color tones. I have observed that similar looking animals, with desirable color traits, often "breed true". As a result, breeding projects are just now creating captive born animals with unbelievable colors and patterns on a consistent basis. Personalities are variable but never boring! Thick prehistoric heads harbor an impressive set of teeth demanding respect, but their big eyes and deep heat sensory grooves give them an aura of extraterrestrial intelligence. Some are dog tame, while others are "psycho-killers." Most are very workable with experience, education, and the proper equipment. Being highly arboreal, green tree pythons tend to be extremely clean animals. If proper precautions are taken, they do not need to be moved to change water, remove feces or change substrate materials. Animals only reach an adult size of four to five feet, have a slow metabolism, and do not require much space to live. The time spent on general husbandry (for established animals) takes a fraction of what is necessary for most other herptiles. Larger collection size is therefore possible (for those with discretionary income). The information below is a summary of several breeder's current experiences, and will always be a work In progress. This is the first part of a series of articles that will be appearing in upcoming issues of the MONITOR magazine, and at our web site. This information is copyrighted by the author, and can not be copied without the written permission of the author, Winslow W. Murdoch, M.D., or the MONITOR magazine. The express purpose of this information is to help customers of NATURES MARVELS have excellent results after buying our baby green tree pythons. Other techniques may also work well, but the systems discussed have proven useful to us in over fifteen years of work with these pythons. These are truly beautiful animals as babies and adults, and hopefully others future successes with this species will generate even more incredible color variations of this extremely variable python. Further information about green tree pythons, and NATURES MARVELS can be obtained by contacting us on the web at