Green Pythons
Known widely as Morelia viridis
ALSO REFERRED TO THE GENUS CHONDROPYTHON MEYER, 1874
Editor's note: 2009
Green Pythons Morelia viridis are now recognised as comprising two species. There are two further subspecies of Green Python recognised. Furthermore while most current literature including parts of this webpage refer to these snakes as being in the genus Morelia as defined as a "greater Morelia" by a number of authors, Raymond Hoser (2000 and 2003 and 2004 and 2009) has been consistent in placing these snakes in the genus Chondropython based on phylogeny, as have numerous other authors. Recent DNA work by Rawlings et. al. has supported the Hoser position. For full details see section on Green Pythons in the paper by Hoser 2009 in Australasian Journal of Herpetology "Creationism and contrived science: A review of recent python systematics papers and the resolution of issues of taxonomy and nomenclature." Issue number 2, pages 1-34.
The link for that newer paper is here:
Regardless of what these snakes are called, be it either Morelia viridis/Morelia azureus or Chondropython viridis/Chondropython azureus the snakes themselves remain unchanged and literature referring to the taxon by either genus name will be relevant.
The material that follows below on the Green Python is text from the paper - "A revision of the Australiasian Pythons".
(Originally published in Ophidia Review 1(1) in "Autumn" 2000 - (Publication date: October 2000), pp. 7-27).
For the text of the full paper 
This is the Green Python. There is only one species within the genus.
That is Chondropython viridis.
The type locality is the Aru Islands, Indonesia, south of New Guinea. Many recent workers have made synonymous this genus (Chondropython) and Morelia, the latter name taking precedence. This author does not accept that arrangement. While it is clear that the two genera derived from the same ancestral stock, it is believed that the two have been separated long enough to warrant being placed in separate genera.
The lack of a distinct dorsal pattern of blotches and stripes that typifies all Morelia (except spilota) or a black and yellow dorsal pattern as in spilota separates Chondropython from all snakes in Morelia. There are no iridescent green Morelia. This is the usual dorsal colouration for adult Chondropython. The absence of labial pits in Chondropython is frequently cited as a characteristic that separates the genera Chondropython and Morelia. That is not so. In fact both genera have distinct labial pits. See the photos published in Hoser (1989) or O'Shea (1996) to view the labial pits in both genera.
The Green Pythons are readily distinguished from all other Australian pythons. Refer to Hoser (1981a) McDowall (1975) and O'Shea (1996) for further diagnostic information. Australian Green Pythons (as cited by Thomson (1935)) are more likely than the New Guinea specimens to have markings along the spine to form some sort of vertebral line or pattern. This is corroborated by other authors including the photos in Greer (1997). However the same trait is also seen commonly in south New Guinea specimens.
Specimens from the north of New Guinea are likely to have spots in a more irregular pattern.
Specimens from around the high country of Wamena in Irian Jaya are a
very dark green with buttercup yellow spots on the back. The dark yellow
ventral scales are commonly a grey/black in colour. As with Morelia,
Chondropython is a species with considerable variation in colour,
not only between locations, but even within a single location and even
within a single litter of young.
Photos of Australian Green Pythons in life with exact locality data are shown in Greer (1997).
Photos of New Guinea Green Pythons in life are shown by O'Shea (1996).
Refer to McDowell (1975) for further details.
The above was from the paper - A revision of the Australiasian Pythons.
(Originally published in Ophidia Review 1(1) in "Autumn" 2000 - (Publication date: October 2000), pp. 7-27).
For the text of the full paper
To download the original of this paper - with
photos exactly as it appeared in the journal Ophidia Review - as an Adobe Acrobat pdf file
Download the full paper as an MS Word document (better for printing)
The Australian Green Python was first formally named as a subspecies by Hoser in 2003
The Normanby Island Green Python was first formally named as a subspecies by Hoser in 2009
The northern species of Green Python was first formally named as a species by Meyer in 1875
The nominate race/species of Green Python was first formally named by Schlegel in 1872
Morelia is usually referred to as the genus name for the "Carpet Pythons". However the genus Morelia has been expanded by some recent authors to include the Green Pythons (Chondropython). Some authors have also included other recognised genus groups, including the Scrub Pythons (Australoliasis), and even other groups such as Olive Pythons (Liasis), Water Pythons (Katrinus), Dwarf Pythons (Antaresia) and so on to form a so-called "Greater Morelia". This "Greater Morelia" group has been recently expanded by some so-called "lumpers" to include the Sand Pythons (Aspidites) based on the most recent phylogenies produced by Rawlings et. al. and others showing the world's true pythons to fit into three broad clades, including the Australasian (Greater Morelia), the Afro-Asian (most) in the "Python" group, and then Broghammerus Hoser 2004, including the world's longest snakes, namely the Reticulated Python (now called Broghammerus reticulatus, (with the Timor Python species being recently added to the genus by Rawlings et. al. in 2008.
Webpage keywords include:Green Python Morelia viridis, Australia, Australian, Morelia viridis shireenae, Chondropython azureus is from Northern New Guinea, species and subspecies, Chondropython adelynhoserae is from Normanby Island, PNG, Meyer, Hoser, 2009, Hoser 2003, Green Python, Chondropython nominate form is from southern New Guinea and nearby Islands
