Regarding Green Tree Pythons

Select a USCBB gtp directly from the breeder. You are going to have a ton of questions and the breeder will be able to answer them, as opposed to a broker (i.e. how many meals, what type of meals and lineage). Most brokers will only be able to answer the basics (keep it warm, in a cage and feed it).

What do the colors mean? Certain bloodlines produce a certain color of neonates that develop into a certain phenotype.

But for the most part red or yellow will turn green.

Buddy B

so the red, yellow, and almost black will all turn green.  They do not have any determining factors of the shades of green?  I was looking at Signal Herpetoculture.& a couple other breeders

It's more based on lineage and/or locale (type).

If the parents are high yellow, the probability of a yellow baby turning yellow is greater than two parents who are solid green.

If the parents are high black, the probability of a red neo turning black is greater than 2x green. Yellow is unlikely to turn high black.

If the parents are high blue, same as black.

If the parents are of the same locale (type), they will likely produce the same type (Sorong x Sorong = Sorong).

Biaks are more variable than any other locale. Crossing them is a crapshoot.

Outcrosses (Aru x Biak) can produce some really interesting individuals, or plain jane green.

Typically, red neos have a greater propensity for funk, especially when coming from funky parents. This is why reds are almost always priced higher in the same clutch. However, you can take a yellow baby from that lineage, cross it with a red, and get some good genetic fun in that mix.

Shades of green: not really a talked about thing much, with the designers and even the locales, it's more about the presence of not green colors that is paid attention to. Unless of course you get a super dark or super bright (lime) green chondro. Those are interesting as well, but rarely does that just "happen".

Buddy +1, especially if it's your first chondro, buy it from the guy/girl who produced it.

Typically speaking, we chondro breeders are a stupid bunch, putting up with lots of unexplained deaths, difficulties in breeding them, terrors in incubation, and struggles in getting the little jerks to feed. And we go through all of this because we love this species without reserve. We are very happy to bring in new victims, answer questions, and help to ensure that the best care is given to the snake once it leaves our collection. You become extended family once you own one of our gems.

Absolutely buy from a breeder. There's no reason to buy a brokered animal these days, you can usually find a breeder with animals of similar prices and you'll be getting a lot of accurate support information as you learn about your new species. The good thing about GTPs is that there's no such thing as an ugly GTP so even if you get a "plain" green one, its still a stunning green snake! If you find yourself drawn to a certain color "morph" and want to make sure you get that color, buy a 2 year old animal. If you're willing to be surprised, watching them go through color change is pretty spectacular.

As for ETBs, I love those too and will have one some day, but I've decided that I'm an Amazon Basin kinda gal rather than a Northern Emerald kinda gal so I'm going to put that "want" on hold until I can afford the Basin that I really want. I'm over the moon for those guys, but its got to have that wicked, bright, bold diamond pattern and that's not cheap. Whatever you do, definitely buy a captive ETB from a breeder rather than a brokered animal. Import animals are cheap, but the chances of getting a critter with ERS is just too high to go down that road.

Also, an FYI - CB means born in captivity, but it can be farm bred or offspring from wild caught adults who had their babies in the holding facility. CBB is what you're looking for, that's captive born and bred. A lot of brokers will use CB to hawk their wares, its something worth knowing about

(psst....Buddy has some really nice animals and I think he may have a few youngsters left.)

For me one of the best things is keeping in contact with the breeder you buy the animal from. That is where you'll get the most peace-of mind and it will ensure that your baby GTP ;) has the best start possible. So make sure that whoever you buy from has been doing it for a long time and you can hear the guys who genuinely care about their animals. 

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