Green Python (Morelia viridis)

Conservation status

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Near threatened.

Breeding season

Wild breeding timing is not established for green pythons in Australia. The species is restricted to Queensland’s Cape York Peninsula, with records concentrated in the Iron to McIllwraith Ranges and Lockerbie Scrub, so local conditions may vary.

Breeding mode: Oviparous, laying eggs.

Clutch size: 1 to 25 viable eggs has been reported; an average of 14 eggs has been reported for wild individuals.

Incubation: Not recorded for wild Australian green pythons.

Nest or breeding site: Not recorded; females protect and incubate eggs in captivity.

Fledging or weaning: Not applicable for this species.

Age at maturity: Not recorded.

Breeding frequency: Captive females produce an average of one clutch each year; wild breeding frequency is not recorded.

The seasonal pattern may vary between years and between Cape York populations, particularly where rainfall, forest condition and local food availability differ.

• Breeding and egg laying, timing not established: Wild breeding has not been reported, so potential mating and egg laying should be treated as possible in every month during works planning.
• Eggs and young, timing not established: The timing and location of wild nests are unknown, so eggs or recently hatched young may be present year round.
• Nocturnal arboreal activity: Green pythons are most active at night and may be found in lowland or low montane rainforest, regrowth and rainforest edge habitat throughout the year.
• Daytime sheltering and ambush positions: During the day, check branches, shrubs, small tree trunks and dense foliage for tightly coiled resting snakes, while also checking likely ambush positions near the ground.
• Highest clearing risk: Treat clearing and construction as high risk in every month because breeding timing, nest sites and the duration of dependence of young are unknown.

Identification: Appearance and size

The green python is a slim, bright green snake with a strongly arboreal form. Juveniles can look very different from adults, so yellow and red young must also be considered during preclearance.

Adults are usually bright green, with a large, angular head that is clearly separated from the neck. The body is triangular in cross section and the tail is long.

Young are commonly lemon yellow or golden red. They may have broken purple, brown or darker markings. Yellow young at Iron Range changed to green at about 58 to 60 cm long, usually at about one year of age.

• Usually 1.5 to 1.8 m long.
• Large females may reach about 2 m.
• The species is slim compared with many other Australian pythons.

Identification: Calls and similar species

The green python has no useful call for site detection and does not use echolocation. Visual searches and careful inspection of vegetation are the main field methods.

It may be confused with the emerald tree boa because both species are green and have a similar resting posture. The emerald tree boa is a South American species, not an Australian species.

The green python can also occur in the same broad habitat as the carpet python. Check the head shape, body build, colour and location rather than relying on colour alone.

Identification: Resting and hunting posture

A resting green python commonly loops one or two coils over a branch, with its head placed in the middle of the coils. It may also wrap around a small trunk or branch with the head facing down.

When hunting, it may hold the head and neck in a strike posture. The prehensile tail helps it stay attached to branches.

Identification: Field signs and handling

Direct sightings are the most useful field sign. There are no distinctive nest, droppings, whitewash, stain or odour indicators that can be relied on for site detection.

Search branches, vines, foliage and small trunks during daylight for resting snakes, then repeat searches at night when activity is higher. Yellow and red juveniles should be included in the search image.

Treat any suspected green python as protected wildlife. Keep people and machinery clear, and use an appropriately authorised fauna spotter catcher for capture and relocation.

Distribution: Australian range

In Australia, the green python is restricted to Queensland and is concentrated on Cape York Peninsula. The Australian range is small on a continental scale and includes two recognised population areas.

Records are concentrated along eastern Cape York Peninsula. Important areas include the Iron Range, McIllwraith Range and Lockerbie Scrub.

Suitable habitat also occurs in isolated coastal pockets towards the northern tip of Cape York. The Cape Melville area contains potentially suitable regional ecosystems, but the species has not been recorded there in the material reviewed.

• State: Queensland.
• Regions: Iron Range, McIllwraith Range and Lockerbie Scrub.
• Population areas: Iron to McIllwraith Ranges, and Lockerbie Scrub.

Distribution: Population connections

The Iron Range and McIllwraith populations may be connected by gallery rainforest where habitat corridors remain across the intervening area. The Lockerbie Scrub population occurs in a smaller area of suitable rainforest in discrete patches.

Do not assume that a lack of recent records means a site is unoccupied. The species is difficult to detect and may be present in connected rainforest or regrowth.

Distribution: Range outside Australia

The species also occurs in New Guinea and nearby islands, including parts of eastern Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Australian animals belong to the southern genetic lineage, which also includes the Aru Islands and New Guinea south of the central highlands.

Distribution: Survey and planning guidance

For works in Cape York rainforest or connected regrowth, check current Queensland mapping and wildlife records during project planning. Use a suitably experienced ecologist to assess whether the site could support the species.

Near Threatened status warrants targeted preclearance surveys in suitable habitat, retention of habitat links where practicable, and documented reporting of all sightings and captures.

• Map rainforest patches, edges, gaps and corridors before clearing.
• Record the tree or vegetation structure where each animal is found.
• Escalate any proposed disturbance to a suspected breeding place for regulatory review.

Habitat: Vegetation types

The green python is most often associated with tropical rainforest and notophyll vine forest. It uses both mature forest and some regrowth, but records are concentrated in particular rainforest vegetation types rather than open ground.

Look for the species in lowland tropical rainforest, low montane rainforest, evergreen to semi-deciduous notophyll vine forest and closed-canopy rainforest.

Most Australian records were from closed semi-deciduous mesophyll vine forest, especially regional ecosystem 3.3.1 on loamy alluvia and lower foothill slopes.

• Closed semi-deciduous mesophyll vine forest.
• Evergreen and semi-deciduous notophyll vine forest.
• Araucarian microphyll vine forest on coastal dunes and beach ridges.
• Rainforest edge, canopy gaps, secondary forest and regrowth.

Habitat: Landforms and site features

Prioritise lowland rainforest mosaics, foothill lower slopes, alluvial areas, coastal dunes and beach ridges. At Iron Range, rainforest occurs as a mosaic with eucalypt woodland and heath.

The species is arboreal, so retain attention on the canopy, mid-storey, vines, shrubs and small trunks rather than searching only the ground.

• Continuous or partly connected rainforest.
• Dense foliage with suitable horizontal branches.
• Canopy gaps and treefall areas adjoining closed forest.
• Rainforest edges and mature regrowth connected to remnant forest.

Habitat: Habitat limitations

The species has been recorded from some open forest and woodland regional ecosystems, but it is most frequently associated with rainforest vegetation. Avoid treating a mapped woodland record as evidence that all open woodland is suitable.

It has not been located in Australian swamp, heath or grassland during the surveys summarised here.

Habitat: Clearing controls

Before clearing, mark rainforest remnants, connected regrowth, edges and likely movement corridors. Keep machinery out of retained vegetation and avoid isolating small rainforest patches.

Where clearing cannot be avoided, use staged clearing and a fauna spotter catcher who can inspect trees, vines and foliage before removal.

Foraging habitat: Foraging position

The green python is a nocturnal, sit-and-wait predator. It hunts from vegetation but may position itself close to the ground, where small mammals and reptiles pass.

The species is mainly arboreal and commonly hunts less than 1 m above the ground. It may wait on a branch, vine or the base of a small trunk with its head directed downwards.

It strikes from an S-shaped posture, then constricts its prey.

• Branches and low horizontal limbs.
• Vines, shrubs and dense foliage.
• Small tree trunks and the lower edge of the canopy.
• Rainforest edges and canopy gaps adjoining cover.

Foraging habitat: Food resources

Adults mainly take small mammals. The diet also includes geckos, skinks and insects. Juveniles commonly take small lizards.

Recorded prey includes native rats and mice, Melomys species, Rattus species and the skink Carlia longipes. There is no evidence that birds are a regular food item.

Foraging habitat: Survey timing

Night searches can improve detection because green adults hunt mainly at night. Females may continue hunting during the day more often than males.

Day searches remain useful for animals resting in a characteristic coil, particularly before vegetation disturbance.

• Search retained trees, vines and shrubs during daylight.
• Repeat targeted searches at night where the habitat is suitable and safe access is available.
• Use spotlights carefully and avoid prolonged disturbance to resting animals.

Breeding habitat: Breeding information

Wild breeding sites and breeding timing are poorly documented for the green python. The species lays eggs, so any suspected breeding place must be treated as a regulated matter in Queensland.

The green python is oviparous. Captive clutches range from 1 to 25 viable eggs, but captive figures should not be used as a direct estimate of wild breeding performance.

Breeding has not been reported in the wild in the information reviewed. Australian breeding months, nest sites and incubation timing are not established.

Breeding habitat: Potential breeding habitat

Until better site information is available, assess mature and connected rainforest, dense regrowth and structurally complex vegetation as potential breeding habitat. Retain canopy, understorey cover and suitable branches wherever practicable.

Do not disturb suspected eggs, gravid females or a site being used for nesting. Stop work and obtain ecological and regulatory advice if such evidence is found.

• Mature rainforest and closed-canopy vegetation.
• Connected regrowth adjoining rainforest.
• Dense foliage and branches that could provide concealment.
• Sites where a female or eggs are located.

Breeding habitat: Queensland compliance

The green python is Near Threatened in Queensland and is protected wildlife. Tampering with its breeding place requires a species management program.

Project managers should confirm approval requirements before works begin where breeding habitat could be disturbed. Record the location, photographs, vegetation context and actions taken.

Sheltering habitat: Resting structures

Green pythons shelter above ground in trees, shrubs and dense foliage. Their resting posture makes them easy to miss during ground-based searches and creates a direct risk during vegetation clearing.

Look for one or two coils looped over a branch in a saddle position, with the head resting in the centre. Animals may also be wrapped around the base of a small trunk and facing down.

Specific Australian shelter trees, hollows and shelter dimensions are not established. Inspect a range of vegetation layers rather than targeting one tree species.

• Horizontal branches.
• Small trunks and forked stems.
• Vines, shrubs and dense foliage.
• Canopy gaps and rainforest edges with retained branches.

Sheltering habitat: Shelter during works

Inspect vegetation before felling, mulching or limb removal. Use staged clearing so animals have an opportunity to move into retained habitat, while ensuring that animals are not pushed towards roads or active machinery.

A fauna spotter catcher should check crowns, branches, foliage and trunk bases. Use safe capture and relocation procedures if a green python is found.

• Fence or flag retained habitat before machinery enters.
• Keep access tracks and stockpiles away from rainforest edges where practicable.
• Check fallen vegetation before it is chipped, burnt or removed.
• Maintain a clear exclusion area around any captured animal until it has been safely removed.

Sheltering habitat: Detection limitations

Green adults can blend into foliage, and resting animals may remain still during daylight. A negative search does not demonstrate that a suitable rainforest patch is unoccupied.

Use habitat assessment, repeated visual searches and all available wildlife records together when deciding whether works can proceed.

Threats: Habitat clearing and fragmentation

The main work site risks are loss and fragmentation of rainforest, injury during vegetation clearing, road mortality and unauthorised collection. Near Threatened status calls for avoidance and careful controls, rather than relying on rescue after clearing.

Removal of rainforest, regrowth and connecting gallery forest can reduce available shelter and foraging habitat. Small isolated patches, especially in the Lockerbie Scrub area, may be particularly sensitive to further disturbance.

Retain the largest practicable rainforest areas and maintain connections between patches. Avoid widening existing breaks through gallery forest unless impacts have been assessed.

• Avoid clearing closed rainforest where practicable.
• Retain canopy and understorey along habitat edges.
• Protect corridors between rainforest patches.
• Limit edge damage, weed spread and unnecessary night lighting.

Threats: Vegetation clearing and construction

Arboreal snakes can be injured or killed when trees, branches, vines and dense foliage are removed. Ground-only fauna searches are not adequate for this species.

Use a qualified fauna spotter catcher, staged clearing and preclearance inspection of all vegetation layers. Stop work if a green python is found in the clearing area.

Threats: Roads and vehicle movements

Roads can cause direct mortality and can open year-round access through suitable forest. Road-killed adult and juvenile green pythons have been recorded.

Manage vehicle movements around rainforest edges and crossings. Include fauna speed controls, driver awareness and incident reporting in the construction environmental management plan.

• Set low site speed limits in suitable habitat.
• Brief drivers and plant operators to report snake sightings and mortalities.
• Avoid leaving open trenches or other entrapment hazards unattended.
• Inspect access routes where animals may be moving between habitat patches.

Threats: Collection and handling

The species is sought after for the pet trade, including for unusual colour and pattern forms. Collection from the wild is a threat and must not be permitted through project activities.

Do not allow workers or contractors to retain, photograph for collection purposes, sell or transport animals. Record sightings and refer suspected illegal collection to the relevant Queensland authorities.

• Use authorised personnel for capture and relocation.
• Keep handling time as short as practicable.
• Record the original location and release decision.
• Report suspected illegal take or trade.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Green pythons are arboreal, mainly nocturnal ambush predators associated with rainforest and adjoining regrowth. They are difficult to detect, so use targeted night searches with habitat assessment and careful checks of trees, shrubs and low vegetation.

Map rainforest, vine forest, rainforest edge, regrowth and canopy gaps within and near the work area. Give particular attention to closed semi-deciduous and evergreen vine forest, including suitable habitat corridors between forest patches.

Review records from Queensland Government databases, protected areas, local museums, previous ecological reports and community observations. Check whether the site lies within the known Cape York Peninsula distribution, including the Iron Range, McIllwraith Range or Lockerbie Scrub areas.

• Map clearing boundaries, access tracks, laydown areas, drainage lines, road crossings and proposed lighting.
• Identify habitat links that could be severed by roads, trenches or construction compounds.
• Treat unrecorded suitable habitat as potentially occupied.

Survey methodology: 2. Targeted night searches

Search after dark when green pythons are most active. Walk slowly through rainforest, edges, regrowth and canopy gaps, scanning branches, foliage, vine tangles and the bases of small trunks.

Use head torches with a red or low-intensity setting where practicable. Scan from several angles because a resting snake may be tightly coiled over a branch with its head in the centre of the coils.

Search during suitable weather, avoiding heavy rain, strong wind and unsafe conditions that reduce visibility or make climbing and access hazardous. Repeat searches where habitat is extensive, visibility is poor or the first search is interrupted.

• Search both ground level and the lower to mid-storey that can be viewed safely from the ground.
• Inspect likely ambush positions, including downward-facing branches and the bases of small tree trunks.
• Do not climb trees unless the work is separately assessed, authorised and conducted by suitably qualified personnel.

Survey methodology: 3. Daytime habitat and shelter checks

Complete daytime habitat checks before night searches. Look for coiled snakes in branches, shrubs, dense foliage and small trees, and inspect fallen vegetation only where this can be done safely without damaging habitat.

Check regrowth and rainforest edges as well as mature rainforest. Adults have been recorded in mature regrowth, while juveniles may be missed if searches focus only on this habitat.

• Use binoculars to inspect dense canopy and branches without disturbing them.
• Check road verges and existing tracks for road-killed animals, particularly where roads pass through suitable rainforest.
• Do not rely on colour alone. Juveniles may be yellow or red, and adults are usually green.

Survey methodology: 4. Survey effort and records

Set effort according to the size, condition and connectivity of the habitat, the scale of the disturbance and the level of detection risk. A single negative search does not demonstrate absence from suitable habitat.

Record the date, start and finish times, weather, moon or light conditions where relevant, observers, search route, search time, habitat and visibility. Record all detections and credible non-detections.

• Photograph animals and habitat from a safe distance, without handling unless authorised.
• Record coordinates, height above ground where it can be estimated safely, perch or shelter type, behaviour, life stage and colour form.
• Record road-killed, injured, displaced or dead animals separately from live detections.
• Submit records to the project fauna register and relevant Queensland biodiversity databases where required.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Approvals and permits

Plan the work around the species' protected status and the sensitivity of its rainforest habitat. The Australian population is restricted to Queensland, and the species is listed as Near Threatened in Queensland and treated as an EVNT species.

Confirm the project's environmental approvals before work starts. Assess whether the action requires an EPBC Act referral, particularly where nationally listed matters or important rainforest habitat may be affected.

In Queensland, confirm the requirements for protected wildlife and any species management program, or SMP. Tampering with a breeding place of a near threatened animal requires the relevant Queensland approval and an approved SMP where applicable.

Obtain any wildlife collection, handling, relocation, rehabilitation or other permits required by Queensland legislation. Confirm that the fauna spotter catcher is authorised for this species and the proposed activity.

• Keep approval conditions, permits, the SMP and contact details for wildlife officers on site.
• Use the most protective approval condition where project approvals overlap.
• Do not assume that a general fauna spotter catcher approval permits disturbance of a breeding place.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoidance and site design

Avoid clearing rainforest and connected habitat wherever practicable. Retain mature trees, dense understorey, vines, canopy links and rainforest edge habitat within and beside the work area.

Keep roads, compounds, stockpiles, lighting and drainage works out of retained habitat where possible. Maintain links between habitat patches, especially where clearing could isolate rainforest.

• Mark the approved disturbance footprint clearly before mobilisation.
• Fence and sign no-go areas before machinery arrives.
• Set site-specific exclusion buffers around detected animals, occupied shelter sites and any breeding place, using the ecologist's advice and approval conditions.
• Prevent night lighting from shining into retained rainforest.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance survey

Complete a targeted pre-clearance survey shortly before clearing. Use daytime habitat checks and night searches, with the final timing set by the project ecologist and approval conditions.

Search all trees, shrubs, vine tangles, regrowth and rainforest edges within the disturbance footprint. Recheck areas where vegetation has been felled, stacked or disturbed before those materials are removed.

• Use a fauna spotter catcher with experience handling arboreal snakes.
• Brief the clearing contractor on the species' coiled branch posture, juvenile colour forms and likely rainforest habitat.
• Stop and reassess if a snake, eggs, a suspected nest or a breeding place is found.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Timing and crew induction

There is no established Australian migration period for green pythons. Do not schedule work on the assumption that animals will leave the site seasonally. Use survey results, weather, habitat condition and any breeding evidence to set the work window.

Wild breeding ecology and breeding timing are poorly known. Avoid clearing during any period identified by the project ecologist as likely to contain eggs, guarding females or dependent young.

• Induct all workers on identification, habitat, exclusion zones, stop-work authority, incident reporting and animal welfare.
• Include a clear instruction that workers must never kill, chase, collect or move a green python without authorisation.
• Provide safe access for the spotter catcher to inspect vegetation before each clearing stage.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Use staged clearing and keep an authorised fauna spotter catcher at the work face. Green pythons can be overlooked in foliage and branches, so clearing must proceed slowly enough for repeated visual checks.

Clear from the outside of the work area towards retained habitat, where this is safe and consistent with the approved method. Use progressive clearing rather than removing all vegetation at once.

Inspect each tree, shrub, vine mass and felled section before it is cut, pushed, chipped, burned or removed. Pause machinery while the spotter catcher checks vegetation and the ground beneath it.

• Avoid night clearing unless it is specifically approved and supervised by the fauna ecologist.
• Keep retained habitat, exclusion zones and escape routes free from machinery, spoil and workers.
• Do not allow vegetation to be stockpiled against retained rainforest.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Stop-work and handling protocol

Give the fauna spotter catcher authority to stop work immediately. Only an authorised and suitably experienced person may capture, handle, contain or relocate a green python.

Keep workers and machinery away from the animal. Do not use hooks, sticks, tools, chemicals or improvised containers. Do not attempt to pull a snake from a branch or shelter.

• Stop work and establish a quiet exclusion area.
• Photograph and identify the animal from a safe distance where possible.
• Allow the fauna spotter catcher to decide whether the animal can leave unaided, needs relocation, or requires veterinary care.
• Use a secure, ventilated container and minimise handling time if capture is authorised.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Breeding places and occupied habitat

If eggs, a guarding female, dependent young or a suspected active breeding place is found, stop work in the immediate area. Protect the site from people, machinery, vibration, heat, dust and changes to drainage or lighting.

The fauna ecologist must notify the project manager and confirm the required Queensland approval, SMP conditions and management response before work resumes.

• Do not move eggs, a female or a breeding place unless specifically authorised.
• Maintain the exclusion zone for the period set by the approval or species management program.
• Record the location, condition, photographs, habitat, evidence of activity and all decisions made.
• Escalate any unexpected concentration of animals, repeated shelter use or suspected breeding aggregation for specialist advice.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Injured or dead animals

Treat injured animals as wildlife incidents. Keep the area quiet and prevent public access. Contact the authorised wildlife carer, veterinarian or wildlife officer listed in the project fauna plan.

Do not give food or water, attempt treatment, or release an injured snake. A dead animal should be left in place until it has been photographed, recorded and collected under the relevant authority.

• Record the cause or likely cause, location, time, condition, photographs and chain of custody.
• Use appropriate personal protective equipment and safe snake-handling procedures.
• Report any suspected deliberate harm, vehicle strike or illegal collection through the project incident pathway.

During habitat disturbance: 5. Daily records

Maintain a daily fauna register for all searches, sightings, captures, relocations, injuries, mortalities and stop-work events. Include sufficient detail to show that approval conditions and the SMP were followed.

• Record observer names, weather, clearing stage, equipment, location, animal identification, action taken and release or treatment location.
• Attach photographs, GPS points, permit details and veterinary or wildlife officer advice.
• Report incidents to the project manager and ecologist before the end of the shift, or immediately where an approval condition requires it.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Post-clearance checks

Complete follow-up checks after each clearing stage and before the site is signed off. Review outcomes promptly so that missed animals, habitat damage or ineffective controls are corrected while crews and equipment remain available.

Inspect the cleared footprint, felled vegetation, stockpiles, trenches, drains, culverts and access routes after each clearing stage. Check retained rainforest edges and any area where animals could have moved during clearing.

Repeat checks after overnight pauses, major weather events or changes to the clearing method. Keep checks focused on branches, foliage, dense debris and shaded structures where a coiled snake may be missed.

• Close or cover trenches and other fauna traps as soon as practicable.
• Remove or modify temporary hazards that could trap snakes.
• Do not declare an area clear until the authorised fauna spotter catcher and ecologist have completed the required checks.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Relocated animals

Release relocated green pythons only at an approved, suitable location within the animal's local habitat and in accordance with the permit or SMP. The release site should contain connected rainforest or suitable regrowth, shelter and access to prey.

Avoid placing animals in isolated habitat, active work areas, exposed ground or locations where roads create an immediate risk. Follow the authorised handler's release method and welfare advice.

• Record the animal's sex if safely determined, life stage, colour form, condition, photographs, capture point, release point, date and time.
• Record any identification marks or other approved tracking information.
• Do not move animals to distant habitat or retain them in captivity unless specifically authorised.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Monitoring and reporting

Complete monitoring required by the approval, SMP or project fauna management plan. Use the same search methods and recording standards where possible so results can be compared between stages.

Report detections, mortalities, relocations, breeding evidence, habitat damage and non-compliance to the relevant project and regulatory contacts.

• Map all detections against the clearing footprint and retained habitat.
• Compare results with pre-clearance records and investigate unexpected declines or repeated mortalities.
• Submit statutory reports within the required timeframe and retain project records for audit.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review every stop-work event, injury, mortality, escape, unauthorised handling event and breeding-place discovery. Include the fauna spotter catcher, clearing supervisor and project ecologist in the review.

Update the work method, induction, exclusion zones or survey effort where the review identifies a risk that was not adequately controlled.

• Record the cause, immediate response, outcome and corrective action.
• Brief all crews before work recommences.
• Escalate repeated incidents to the approval holder and Queensland regulator where required.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore habitat structure

Rehabilitation should restore connected rainforest structure rather than create isolated ornamental plantings. Green pythons are arboreal and use trees, shrubs, branches and dense foliage for resting and hunting.

Replant cleared edges and temporary work areas with locally appropriate rainforest species from approved local sources. Aim for layered vegetation, dense foliage, climbing plants and canopy continuity as the site develops.

Prioritise links between retained rainforest patches and protect mature regrowth that can provide interim structure. Retain suitable fallen timber and natural debris where it does not create a fire, safety or access hazard.

• Stabilise exposed soil and drainage lines without directing runoff into retained rainforest.
• Use temporary fauna crossings or canopy connections where approved and suitable for the site.
• Prevent further fragmentation from tracks, fencing, stockpiles and utility corridors.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Replacement structures

Green pythons do not have a confirmed requirement for nest boxes, bat boxes, artificial nest sites or colony roosts. Do not install these structures as a default mitigation measure.

Where an approved ecologist identifies a specific loss of suitable arboreal shelter, consider retained or transplanted branches, small trees, dense native shrubs or other natural structures that match the local habitat. Any artificial structure should be trialled only with specialist advice, approval and a monitoring plan.

• Do not use bat boxes or bird nest boxes as substitutes for green python habitat.
• Do not move eggs, breeding places or occupied shelter structures without authorisation.
• Inspect any installed structure for unintended fauna hazards, overheating, entrapment or use by pest species.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Weeds, fire and water

Control weeds before they form dense mats that suppress rainforest regeneration or block animal movement. Use methods that avoid harming snakes and other fauna.

Maintain natural drainage and avoid sudden changes in water flow, ponding or sediment delivery. Manage fire risk carefully because rainforest edges and regrowth can be damaged by inappropriate fire.

• Schedule weed treatment outside periods of high fauna activity where practicable.
• Check vegetation and equipment before using herbicide, slashing or fire.
• Keep chemicals, fuels and wash-down water out of retained and rehabilitated habitat.
• Remove rubbish, wire and other materials that can trap snakes.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Lighting and roads

Keep permanent and temporary lighting directed away from rainforest, edges and habitat links. Use the lowest effective intensity and avoid unnecessary overnight lighting.

Reduce vehicle risk on roads through suitable habitat. Manage speed, access and night traffic in accordance with the project risk assessment, and inspect road surfaces for mortalities.

• Use shields, timers and motion controls where suitable.
• Keep construction traffic on defined routes.
• Include road-kill checks in routine fauna monitoring.
• Review road controls if green pythons or other fauna are repeatedly found dead.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long-term monitoring

Monitor rehabilitation until vegetation is established and the site is stable. Include targeted night searches in suitable rainforest, regrowth and edge habitat, not just general fauna surveys.

Use results to assess habitat use, connectivity, road mortality, weed control and unexpected impacts. The level and duration of monitoring should match the Near Threatened listing, the disturbance scale and approval conditions.

• Record search effort, weather, habitat condition, detections, mortalities and breeding evidence consistently.
• Check whether relocated animals remain in suitable habitat where approved monitoring methods allow this.
• Adapt planting, lighting, access and weed controls when monitoring identifies a problem.
• Report monitoring outcomes to the approval holder and regulator where required.

Sources

• On green pythons - Open Research Repository, openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au: https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/server/api/core/bitstreams/416fc523-7de5-4a96-bcbc-1c91116f195d/content
• Smuggling snakes: a study on the global trade of green, unsworks.unsw.edu.au: https://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/server/api/core/bitstreams/68f5dbf0-8fe8-48df-96b1-1933a2e354b7/content
• Green tree python - Wikipedia, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Tree_Python
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• Occurrence records for the distribution map, Atlas of Living Australia: https://biocache.ala.org.au/