Woma questions

[RWillinnable]

These snakes seem to be like they might make a nice second snake. I am interested in hearing from those of us here who have experience keeping them. Are they really as docile as they are advertised to be? How big can they get? Do you know any good care sheets I can find on them? How do they take to handling? There seems to be different subspecies of Womas but breeders rarely advertise this. Is this true?

Any infor would be welcome.

Rachel

[Kara]

Woma pythons (Aspidites ramsayi) are excellent snakes to keep - hardy, voracious feeders that are relatively easy to breed.

I keep mine set up in appropriately-sized caging (shoeboxes for babies, sweaterboxes for juvies, Freedom Breeder "2 across" rack for adults), with aspen substrate, a couple of hide boxes, and a water bowl. Ambient temp ranges from 75 - 85, with a 90 degree hotspot for juvies/adults (it's hard to create that kind of thermal gradient in a baby box).

Feeding - once a week is fine, although they will most likely eat anytime food is offered...I feed my juvies/subadults 2x week for the first year or so & then back them down to weekly feedings after that point. Womas tend to have VORACIOUS feeding responses - watch your hands when the cage opens. They rarely tend to be picky feeders & are very easy to maintain on rodents.

Handling - most womas are very docile, active, inquisitive pythons. Babies may be nippy or shy at first, but the same is true for many snake species. Some womas may always be defensive & not take well to handling, but that is more the exception than the rule.

The main reason womas haven't been a widespread "pet" snake is due to the price. Not many folks are willing to pay $400 - $1200 per animal when there are so many cheaper species out there.

Also, a note in regards to subspecies - there aren't any subspecies at this time that have been clearly defined, published & widely accepted. Proposed subspecific designation pops up from time to time, usually from various sources looking to make a name for themselves, but that's the extent of it at this time.

HTH!

K~

[RWillinnable]

Thanks for the great info. One more question though, how big do they get? I have a rule with my snake keeping and that is I always ask myself, if this snake turned on me, could I take it down by myself? A very remote possiblity considering that I am pretty good with snakes, but one I think should be considered.

Rachel

[Kara]

The biggest I've ever seen in person was around 6'. These are slender pythons, not at all heavy-bodied like a boa or even a carpet of the same length. I'd hardly worry about having to "take down" a woma...just watch out for the feeding response. I only say that because my hands have almost been lunch for mine on more than one occasion, but outside of the enclosure they're all sooooo sweet to work with!

K~

[RWillinnable]

So, just buy a long snake hook for getting it out of its enclosure and feed it with tongs and everything should be fine right?

If that is all there is to it, I may be sold. It really comes down to either a woma for my next pet or a couple sugar gliders. They are sooooooooo cute!!!! Maybe a Blue tongued skink as well. Or maybe......I need to get a bigger place first.

Rachel

[Kara]

You don't even need a long hook - a general cage hook works just fine. Just get to know your snakes & be able to read their behavior - i.e. what a typical feeding response looks like & also when the animal is back into more of a conscious (vs. instinctive) mode before you pick it up.

Tong feeding is a good idea anyway...it creates routine & consistency, which helps to create a solid, strong feeder, regardless of species.

Just a note...we have blue tongues & sugar gliders here at our facility...they're fun to have around, but there's a reason why I have womas in my private collection. Easily one of my favorite python species!

K~

[Shelby]

Womas are on my wishlist.. such a cool animal. Now that I have a better job, I will be able to afford a pair! Woot!

[RWillinnable]

Temptress!!!!!! Alright, I want one really bad. I just may have to raid my savings here soon. I'll just quit eating for a month or two and that should just about cover everything.

Rachel, who will hold her breath until her face turns blue if that would cause K to give her a woma for free.

[Kara]

Rachel, who will hold her breath until her face turns blue if that would cause K to give her a woma for free.

Sorry...wish I could!! It took me 5 years to find the PERFECT womas (there are a lot of ugly ones out there) and I wouldn't part with them for the world!

[Shelby]

Ugly woma? I haven't seen one I didn't like.

Do you have pictures of yours?