By Thadd Sauls
Imported Green Tree Pythons are undoubtedly one of the most divisive topics in the Chondro community and you don’t have to spend much time in the forums in order to find a hotly debated conversation about the pros and cons. Regardless of your opinion on the matter, as long as they are being exported from their homeland they will find a way to a table at your local reptile expo. These animals have endured a long journey to get here and they deserve only the best possible care that we can provide. It is no secret that many of the animals in my collection were imported and I want to share with you a basic guide so that you know what to expect and how to manage the many issues an imported GTP can have. This is by no means an all-inclusive manual but I hope that it will be beneficial.
Imported GTPs can come from a variety of sources. Most of them change hands several times after importation before they show up at the reptile expo. You might also find them at pet stores, online reptile dealers, and that random person looking to rehome a pet. There are a few people who take the time to establish and medicate imports before reselling them and those animals are well-worth the extra money (but those are not the animals I’m talking about today). You also need to know what you’re buying (or what you bought). Imported GTPs usually come with two different labels: FB (Farm Bred) and CH (Captive Hatched). It is illegal to export wild-caught GTPs from Indonesia so these animals are filtered through the farms and labeled as FB or CH. Don’t be fooled, adult imported GTPs are almost always wild-caught. Regardless of the label and origin, they should all go through the same quarantine procedures and veterinary checks.
The first thing you should do with an imported animal is Quarantine! Quarantine! Quarantine! Imports can carry tons of parasites and diseases and you do not want to expose your collection to any of it! I recommend that you quarantine for a minimum of 90 days BEYOND the last clean fecal exam. The most practical way to quarantine is to set up caging in a separate room as far away from your main collection as possible. Always use separate tools (hooks, tongs, etc.) and disinfect them after every use. Try not to work in the quarantine room on the same day as your main collection, and if you do, shower and change clothes before working with your main collection. When you set up quarantine cages keep them simple! Tubs are awesome because they are easy to sterilize. I recommend using white paper or a puppy pad substrate and white water bowl to help spot mites.
Imported animals can have anything and everything wrong with them. You will need an experienced reptile veterinarian to assist with establishing the animal. If you don’t have one already, check https://arav.org to find a vet near you. Imported animals almost always have microscopic intestinal parasites and worms of various types. Your veterinarian will need to conduct fecal testing to determine which medications to prescribe. Fecal tests also need to be conducted several times after treatment to ensure that the parasites have been cleared. Imported animals are often kept in poor living conditions. In many cases they are dehydrated and have stuck shed, especially the adult animals found at reptile shows. These animals should be allowed to soak in fresh water to help rehydrate and remove as much of the stuck shed as possible. Open wounds or fresh scabs are also common. Consult with your veterinarian during the initial exam to determine if treatment is necessary. Mites are also common with imports. Your veterinarian will check for mites but they can be easily overlooked. You should always take preventative measures against mites with every new animal and stay alert. Mites can easily go unnoticed and show up in your collection 2-3 months later! Make a habit of checking the water bowl and substrate for mites even if you don’t see any on the snake. Mites can also thrive in common reptile substrates like mulch, Reptichip, etc. Those types of substrates are impossible to sterilize and spot mites so don’t use them in quarantine!
Green Tree Python Serpentovirus, more commonly known as nidovirus, is a threat that can devastate your entire collection. You’ll want to consider testing your animals while they are in quarantine, especially if you have more than one GTP. More information about testing for Green Tree Python Sepentovirus can be found at https://fishhead-diagnostics-inc.square.site or on their Facebook page, Fishhead Diagnostics.
Feeding imported GTPs can push you to the limits of sanity. The first thing I recommend is to wait 1 to 2 weeks before feeding. They have had a long and stressful journey and they need time to calm down. If you’re lucky the animal will take frozen thawed on the first feeding attempt, but not all animals are that easy. If an import refuses frozen/thawed I will try again after 1 week. After about a month of refusing meals I will offer a live rodent. If the snake eats a live rodent I will offer frozen thawed at least two more times before feeding another live prey item.
I continue this pattern as long as it takes to convert the snake to a frozen/thawed diet. If the snake is refusing both f/t and live prey then I continue offering various prey items on a weekly basis until the animal eats. I have had adult imports refuse meals for 3 to 4 months before finally accepting frozen mice! (Warning: don’t leave a live prey item in the cage with your snake if it is refusing to eat! Rodents especially can bite and injure your snakes.) You should also try and use different types of frozen thawed rodents. Some animals might not eat a mouse but they will accept a rat or an African soft furred rat. You can also try rodents from different sources. I have seen animals refuse to eat PetSmart mice and then savagely attack a mouse purchased from a quality rodent breeder at the local reptile expo.
These are some of the most common issues associated with imports but with the help of your local veterinarian, money, patience, and a bit of luck, you can get your GTP established. I do not recommend an unestablished imported GTP for any new keeper under any circumstances, however, these animals are often purchased as someone’s first GTP. It is my hope that our community can provide the tools and information to help give more of these beautiful snakes a better chance at a good life.
