GREEN TREE PYTHON LOCALITIES

There are four generally recognized geographic races of the Green Tree Python.
These geographic races are distinct from each other, especially the two island forms which tend to enjoy unique traits due to the isolation of their respective gene pools, being located on islands. A Race is defined as a group identified by common morphological traits (appearance) and is not necessarily given subspecific status. Currently, none of the races of GTPs are recognized as a subspecies.
Do not confuse Race with Locality. Locality is defined as a specific location. Locality-specific reptiles, including chondros, are those with verifiable collecting data. No data, no locality - it's that simple. Remember, locality identifications are not made visually, they are the result of having collecting data. Some information about locality-specific GTPs can be found at the bottom of this page.
It is easy to see that in light of these definitions, there are very few true locality chondros, regardless of the claims made by dealers. However, some chondros can be sight-identified as belonging to one of the four described races. Captive bred chondros of mixed ancestry (which is most of them) often show traits from several groups (or none at all). Therefore, care must be exercised when making claims for specific race distinctions.
The designation of "type", as in "Biak-type", is used my most conscientious keepers to designate specimens that conform to a specific phenotype, but in fact do not have any documentation of origin or founder stock.
For an in-depth treatment of the important topics of Race and Locality, including a high quality digital relief map of New Guinea with localities and race boundaries designated, and beautiful color photos of the four race groups. Some brief descriptions are found below.





Biak Island Types



Chondros from the Biak and Yapen Islands, being isolated geographically, often exhibit distinct and recognizable traits. Biaks have large heads with long snouts, long, sharply pointed tails, attain a larger size than mainland animals, and are stout and robust animals. The main color is a light green, often with patches of yellow present. Those from Yapen are reported to have white spots as well. Most Biaks have yellow face markings.
They are also well-known for having bad tempers, and some individuals can make working their cages difficult even during daylight hours. Biak types also are known for taking much longer to complete their color change from neonate to adult colors, and often go through a yellow or orange phase with high contrast, large markings. This causes some owners of these animals to get prematurely excited about what the animal will ultimately look like. It is believed that Biak blood, when crossed with mainland bloodlines, has the potential to produce some of the very attractive morphs sometimes seen. The Biak-like head and tail shape is frequently still seen in such crosses.

Aru Island Types



The second of the two island forms, Aru chondros are a beautiful green color, with blue on the labials, bellies, and extending onto the sides of some specimens. They usually have white spots randomly scattered on the dorsal, and some specimens are heavily marked with white. Such animals are not common. Arus have a smaller, more blunt head shape than Biaks, and a very blunt tail that looks as if the tip has been cut off. A few individuals are working with documented locality specific Aru chondros, but the vast majority are lacking such documentation, and should be labeled as Aru types. Those with a lot of blue and white on them are very desirable, whether they come with locality documentation or not. Captive bred Arus usually have placid temperaments, but wild imports can be snappy.

The Mainland Sorong Types



Mainland chondros are far more variable than the two island races. New Guinea is large and rugged, and there are many populations of GTPs that are not geographically isolated from each other. This results in the blending of traits, making mainland animals more difficult to describe and identify.
Several mainland towns have lent their names to chondro "localities", but in fact these are simply human population centers where the collection and exportation of the pythons have been facilitated. Sorong and Jayapura are two commonly used names, and "Sorong" has come to be closely identified with certain mainland traits. PNG is used to designate animals believed to have their roots from the Papaua New Guinea side of the Island country. (Irian Jaya, the western half of the island, is now called West Papua.)
Sorong type animals are noted for having a blue stripe down the dorsal area, with blue triangles alternating off of it. They also may have blue spots or bars on the sides of the body. Some have yellowish bellies, and white spots here and there are not uncommon. Sorong animals have small chunky heads and shorter noses. The tail is often black, and not as sharply pointed as is seen with the Biak type, but not as blunt as Aru tails. CB specimens are usually calm. These are often the smallest of the four races. It is believed that females from the mainland are the type that most often turn blue during pregnancy.

Cape York and Merauke Types



These handsome serpents are distinguished by having a nearly solid white chain of spots down the center of the spine. They are a very attractive lime green, and the belly is often bluish. A docile personality usually compliments the stunning good looks of these animals. They are found on the Cape York Peninsula of Australia, and in the Merauke region of West Papua just west of the PNG border. There are not many specimens of this type in the US, and true locality-specific, documented animals are being bred by Damon Salceies. It was two animals from this group that produced the first albino in 2002. I am hoping to acquire stock from this race for my collection. The strict ban on exportation of any indigenous wild life from Australia has made it extremely difficult to get any Cape York specimens into breeding projects.

Locality Specific Chondros

As noted in the definitions at the beginning of this section, there are few chondros or breeding projects that have true, verifiable collecting documentation. However, there are some individuals who are working with such animals.
Many so-called locality names have popped up in recent years, primarily in Internet reptile classified ads. Usually these dealers have low credibility, do a quick sidestep of any questions about documentation, and some become openly hostile that questions are even asked. Among these names are Wamena, Lereh, Karubaga, Nabire, Cyclops, and Bokondini. While these are all actual places, not all of them relate to unique GTP populations.
One popular designation of locality typing is the "highland" form. These are animals collected at higher elevations, and reported to have some subtle but identifiable characteristics. One European breeder who claims to be working with groups of chondros having documented locality founder stock is Freek Nuyt (pronounced "Thrake"). I have corresponded with Mr. Nuyt on several occasions, and found him to be helpful, knowledgeable, and credible. I am not going so far as to stake my reputation on everything he claims, but I have been impressed with the information he has given me.
According to him, the highland populations of Lereh and Wamena are distinct from each other, and have somewhat distinct morphological tendencies. He further states that Karubaga and Bokondini are closely located to Wamena, and that he hasn't seen any evidence that would validate recognizing either of them as true localities. Wamena animals tend to have blue outlines on the dorsal with white or yellow spots inside them, while Lereh specimens have more elongated, teardrop shaped dorsal markings. Mr. Nuyt claims that the pigmented tails of the lowland Sorong specimens sets them apart from these highland populations.


Tail of the Lowland Sorong

Obviously there is much more research and documentation that is needed, but a lot has been learned in the last several years. The rugged terrain and political instability of Indonesia make field work difficult, and even less is known about the variations of GTP populations from PNG. There is a lot of work to be done, and we may never really know all there is to know. It is important to stick with known facts and data, and to refrain from making unsubstantiated claims about locality animals. One thing is sure: All of them are chondros, and all of them are beautiful!


Refences :
www.finegtps.com