Gravid Green Tree Python!(?)

After almost two decades of keeping and breeding chameleons, I think I may have my very first gravid snake! This is Lily. She's an Aru-type green tree python that I paired up with my 8 year old male several weeks ago. The females from her line (as well as his from a different breeder) typically change from green to blue after breeding and usually remain blue. Over the last couple weeks we've noticed Lily turning more and more blue! She's also lost interest in food, which is a first for her. Although I never witnessed any copulations, he was definitely all over her and she's showing all the signs including what I think was an ovulation 4 or 5 days ago. Wish us luck!

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Good luck. Beautiful snake. I had a pregnant Redtailed boa. Pregnant cause live birth. Or gravid doesn't matter. I woke up to find 28 crawling babies. It was so cool. I ended up selling all but 1 same day. Post pictures after they hatch thanks.

How many might she have?

Oh way cool Kent! I hope she has eggs! How many-what is incubation like and how long til they hatch?

Hi, thanks Marky, Linda, and Juli! Here's my understanding of what's going to happen according to a couple big-name breeders. Females have follicles that develop in the ovaries prior to fertilization. When they ovulate, the eggs are fertilized and there is a large, very noticeable, mid-body swelling that lasts for up to 2 days. That is what I think I saw on the 4th to 5th. From there it is around 40 days until egg laying with a pre-lay shed 2-3 weeks before deposition. Large females, which she is not yet, can have more than 20 eggs at a time but I'm expecting more like 8-10 for her first clutch. The females naturally want to coil around the eggs and incubate them with muscle contractions. I will probably pull them out and incubate artificially so that I can get her back on food sooner than if she were to incubate them herself. Oh, and incubation lasts around 50 or so days. So, if my calculations are correct, I could have baby chondros in 85 days!

Edit: Here's a pic of my male's mother with a hatching clutch of babies so you can see how blue they can get: http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/photo.php?id=58172

Nice pics, Kent, and congrats! I love these guys and would love to have one some day.

So...beginning of June I expect to hear all about them!
(Much quicker than chameleons, eh??)

Oh, don't worry! By that time you'll already be tired of seeing updates about the prelay shed, building a nestbox, egg-laying, incubation.... I do appreciate them being quicker than chameleons but only ONE clutch a year!

Nive looking Green, Best wishes Kent!

So no problems w female snakes double clutching or laying massive clutches and dying like w/chams? Ive always wanted a green tree boa but the cost was outta my league. Now i dont have enuff room between cham and dogs. Keep the pics coming. I cant wait to see the size of those eggs.

More blue!

I think we're down to a matter of days before she lays! She's in the nestbox now and the laying window begins tomorrow! I've never tried to breed any snake species before so I'm super excited!

very nice snake... Good luck..

YAY! Can't wait to see some of those babies!

Very cool! GTP's are some of my favorite snakes, but I hear they have bad temperments

Is she very tame?

She is a little flighty but never tried to bite me. On the other hand, and I'm not a big snake keeper but I did work in a pet store with lots and lots of different species in the past and I still say my male GTP is the friendliest, calmest snake I've handled. A pleasure to handle. I sought out this particular island race not only for the whites and blues but because they are known to be more docile than the other locale-types. Cbb helps with the aggression a lot too.

That's cool There was one at the local pet store here and he was a mean little guy. I think all GTP's are awesome. I didn't know they got that blue after they mated. Good luck with the babies

Hey Kent,

Shes a beautiful snake. I have been looking into expanding from chameleons (the only reptiles I keep) and have been looking at GTPs. If you successfully have some babies put me on the list

See ya,

Todd

Rocky said:

Very cool! GTP's are some of my favorite snakes, but I hear they have bad temperments

Is she very tame?

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they are very fragile as babies and it isnt recommendd that you handle them when they are young, and because of that most tend to develop a little bit of an attitude. they also have HUGE teeth in relation to their size and a very strong strike.



Kent, Your female is freaking beautiful, let me know when babies hatch i am in the market for a GTP and would love to find someone semi local to see babies/parents and a fellow cham person

Kent; I not a snake person but she is beautiful!