Pictorial progression on the life of a green tree python.

(08-13-2013, 11:40 AM)Tribie Wrote: I don't know anything about snakes but why did it start out as red anyway? I mean it could have started out as green right?. I assume it won't go back to being red since it is a green tree python. Just wondering what the purpose of changing color over this long period of time serves. It could be camouflage but still the question remains - why do they start out red? By the way, nice snake... I also like green.

The name green tree python is the common name of the species Morelia viridis & Morelia azureus. As adults, most are primarily green, but animals from different islands and locales can have a coloration of green, yellow, blue, black and white, with many combinations.

Neonates start off life either yellow or a red/orange. Most neonates stay lower to the ground, so the theory is that this helps them blend into leaf litter, flowers, etc, better. Some people also think it may be a mimicry of smaller venomous snakes.

Also of an interesting note, animals from the Biak islands have long been noted to take a much longer time through this change, and apparently there are no or very few raptors on these islands, leading to a theory that since there are fewer arboreal predators, there is less need to change to an adult green color as they age and start to live at higher elevations.

It's all speculation really, just theories. But that is one of things that make them so fascinating!

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(08-13-2013, 07:32 PM)BWP Wrote: Your snake is very beautiful! Is it male or female? What do you feed him / her? It is interesting to see the very dramatic change in colors!

Was the last photo taken during the final color phase?

Sorry for the many questions! I do love snakes but I think green tree pythons are such exceptionally beautiful creatures!

This is a female. She is now eating adult mice. All my snakes eat frozen/thawed prey. Most of these species actually continue to change for their entire lives, though to a lesser extent. I would say her dramatic changes are done, but she is still changing. That last pic is probably 6 months old, and she has changed a bit since. I need to get some new pics of her.