Info for GTP

[Chrisc]

I've been thinking about buying a GTP sometime in the future, and to be honest I dont have the slightest clue on how to house one. A lot of the info I have read about them conflicts with one another, so its a bit confusing. Does anyone know of a good source to get info on GTPs, and how to care for them? I think they are a beautiful animal and I would love to have one, hoping to get some help from people that have experiance with them first hand. Thanks..

[lady_bug87]

Here are the tips I can give you that have been true for me:
- when you finding a neonate be selective. Don't just buy the first one you see unless you're sure.
When being selective I mean check the over all health of the baby and inquire about the over all health of the clutch.

Be mindful of the age of the neonate. Some breeders will sell off offspring fairly early (my own green tree was sold to me after 3 feeds). If the baby is unestablished when you get it the responsibility is on you to ensure it starts off well. These snakes are very delicate as babies.

In terms of housing: I have always housed mine in an 18x18x 24 glass exo Terra with only minor issues regarding humidity which have been sorted However you may start them off in a tub with some sticks shoved through for perches.

I keep my hot side between 85-88°F my cool side around 74°F with a relative humidity between 60 and 80% using live plants and daily misting

In terms of handling: please Note that gtps have a prehensile tail which can be easily damaged by incorrect handling of a neonate. It is recommended not to handle the snake or use minimal handling for a year or the end of the color change.

Also note that since these animals use their tail for hunting and eating upside down, damage to the tail could cause the animal to stop eating permanently. As some individuals do not learn to eat right side up without the use of the tail.

[jarich]

There is an excellent book called The More Complete Chondro by Greg Maxwell that is sort of considered the bible of the GTP world. Very much worth the money.

[Chrisc]

Originally Posted by jarich

There is an excellent book called The More Complete Chondro by Greg Maxwell that is sort of considered the bible of the GTP world. Very much worth the money.

I've seen that book around but any time Ive asked on other sites about wether it was worth it or not never got any answers. I think I'll look into getting it.

[Chrisc]

Originally Posted by lady_bug87

Here are the tips I can give you that have been true for me:
- when you finding a neonate be selective. Don't just buy the first one you see unless you're sure.
When being selective I mean check the over all health of the baby and inquire about the over all health of the clutch.

Be mindful of the age of the neonate. Some breeders will sell off offspring fairly early (my own green tree was sold to me after 3 feeds). If the baby is unestablished when you get it the responsibility is on you to ensure it starts off well. These snakes are very delicate as babies.

In terms of housing: I have always housed mine in an 18x18x 24 glass exo Terra with only minor issues regarding humidity which have been sorted However you may start them off in a tub with some sticks shoved through for perches.

I keep my hot side between 85-88°F my cool side around 74°F with a relative humidity between 60 and 80% using live plants and daily misting

In terms of handling: please Note that gtps have a prehensile tail which can be easily damaged by incorrect handling of a neonate. It is recommended not to handle the snake or use minimal handling for a year or the end of the color change.

Also note that since these animals use their tail for hunting and eating upside down, damage to the tail could cause the animal to stop eating permanently. As some individuals do not learn to eat right side up without the use of the tail.

Thanks for the advice, I will know i have a lot to learn about them before I decide to buy one. Unfortunatly theres not any place around where I live that I have found that has GTPs, and so far every breeder for them that I have found is out of state.

[Lankyrob]

Originally Posted by jarich

There is an excellent book called The More Complete Chondro by Greg Maxwell that is sort of considered the bible of the GTP world. Very much worth the money.

Read this book ^^^^ cover to cover, it is brilliant

[reptimama]

Originally Posted by jarich

There is an excellent book called The More Complete Chondro by Greg Maxwell that is sort of considered the bible of the GTP world. Very much worth the money.

if you have a Kindle or iTunes it is MUCH cheaper than a print version.