At the beginning of March, the Debrecen Zoo welcomed a pair of green tree pythons.
It is hoped that the seven-year-old female and two-year-old male will form a breeding pair, which will allow the unique species to be bred, he added. Now, they can be seen in the Pálmaház of the zoo, said the director of the zoo, Sándor Gergely Nagy.
Native to New Guinea, the eastern islands of Indonesia, and the northwestern tip of Australia’s York Peninsula, the green tree python (Morelia Viridis), otherwise known as the emerald python is a tropical rainforest dweller, and of all python species, spends most of its time on tree branches. It is also on the IUCN Red List, the director explained.
It preys mainly on small mammals, birds, and reptiles, which it ambushes and strangles in the absence of venom, rarely using the tip of its tail as bait. Outside the breeding season, it lives solitary, and when resting and hunting it coils itself around tree branches in a characteristic pose. Females lay their eggs in tree hollows and then hatch them by coiling around them, typical of pythons.
In addition to announcing the new animals, the zoo with 900 species of 200 animals has launched a photo competition. Visitors are invited to send their favorite photos of their spring visit to the park until the 31st of May 2022. One photo per person can be submitted. The three winners will each receive a zoo pass for the whole year.
The call for entries is available on the website.
Source: MTI
