Include

[S.D.]

I like all of the information above. Very well thought-out and useful.

If I was to answer the question, in a more “simple” way (to suit my experience as opposed to the above) I would suggest a Woma, in particular, of South Australian locality, as a great candidate for a first python. From all reports, and from my own experience, this locality of Woma is very well suited and received in captivity. I believe there are many reasons for this and I shall do my best to explain why with the following.

I believe one of the main reasons is due to the South Australian Woma’s temperament. Yes it is true that each snake is an individual - irrespective of species, locality or even clutch and parents. There may indeed be individuals of this locality out there that are prone to being cage defensive, dislike being handled and as a result act aggressively towards their keeper. However I am yet to hear of any specific cases of South Australian Womas showing any such behaviour (but like I said there will be cases out there and all snakes can and will bite their owner if they chose to). I think the temperament of a snake is very important when considering a soon-to-be keeper’s first choice of python – almost everyone wants a very placid and agreeable python to start off with as it’s a lot easier to keep, look after and most importantly learn from and enjoy their new companion. Although many experienced keepers may do their best to deter constant or even any handling of snakes at all, it is much easier said than done for first time keepers – we were all eager to make friends with this strange new creature when we were first introduced – and if we were to have been constantly bitten by our new “friend”, then I would assume our venture into the world of herpetology would have been very short lived or not as pleasing as we’d first thought (well for most anyway).

Another reason why I would suggest a Woma Python as a good first choice of snake relates to their “keepability” (yes, I know that’s not a word ). What I mean to say, is that Woma Pythons, in my experience, are very easy to look after and maintain as a healthy captive. Womas seem to be very robust and this may be due to the environment in which this species has survived for thousands of years. A desert has very little water to drink, much less humidity then the environment in which most other pythons occur (which aids the shedding process) and in particular, a huge variation in temperatures throughout the year (45 degrees and beyond in Summer to 10 degrees and below during Winter). Although it is best to have read and learned as much as one can from experienced python keepers, like everything else in life, the most experience is gained by “doing” – and having to do too much is a burden which many would deem unwarranted for a new keeper to carry. A Green Tree Python for example requires much more humidity in its enclosure to mimic its natural environment which is in the rainforests of North-Queensland. As a result many keepers suggest daily spraying of their python(s) and also various cage furniture and even substrate according to some. Also many keepers of Diamond Pythons suggest UV lights, basking lights on a timer (to come on only in the morning for a specific period), erratic temperatures and/or even outdoor enclosures to maintain this species. A Woma python on the other hand needs little to no consideration given to humidity (a water bowl, clean dry substrate, sufficient ventilation and a rough-surface or piece of furniture to rub on is all that is required for Womas to shed without problems usually), no UV requirements (although UV lights will not harm a Woma) and, due to the Woma’s natural environment, they usually thrive with floor heat (heat mats or head cord) as this is how they would usually bask and increase their body temperature (usually on a warm rock or from within a small cave or crevice for example). In my opinion, and as those of other’s suggest also, a Woma is far more suited to a simple click-clack setup with floor heat (for the first 6 – 12 months of its captive life) as opposed to Carpet Pythons for example who are more suited to an overhead heat source (although a click-clack with floor heat is more than sufficient for most of these pythons also). Therefore I can not think of a python that is easier to maintain and keep healthy for a new keeper than a Woma.

One more area in which I believe a Woma Python’s characteristics seem to compliment captive life relates to their feeding behaviour. Today with a greater number of generations having been bred in captivity and the improvement of husbandry techniques, animals with feeding problems and specialist diets seem to be a thing of the past. Despite this however, many a new keeper is always concerned with a python that seems to dislike the idea of eating mice and/or rats or indeed anything at all. Admittedly, most of these pythons will eventually get used to this idea and feed from that point on with no problems at all. Most pythons will not even be sold until they have been feeding unassisted for some time which makes the process for new keepers even easier. When it comes to food, Womas are in a class of their own though – most will attest to the Woma’s eating behaviour being similar to that of a pig. Woma Pythons are renowned for not being problematic or finicky eaters once they have been established. The only problem a new keeper might come across with Womas is saying “NO!” to that cute angelic face and puppy-dog-like eyes after they have just eaten their first mouse or rat in record time. In other words Womas are basically the “Fatty-Fatty-Bom-Baa” of pythons.

So after all that I hope I have established that South Australian Woma Pythons (or at least Womas overall) are at least due some consideration when deciding on a keeper’s first snake. In general (and put simply), Womas are nice, they’re very easy to care for and look after and they also like to eat. Like everything though, there are always a few cons to the pros. One would generally be the price of Womas. Although the price for Womas has fallen considerably in the last few years, they are still around the $1000 mark, which puts them out of reach for a lot of keepers, let alone a first-timer. $800 seems to be a very decent price these days but in the next few years it wouldn’t surprise me if the average price for a South Australian Woma for example dropped to around $500. Despite this though, and like I have stated previously, in most other respects, Womas seem to be the perfect captive and as a result an excellent choice for a first python. Hopefully the price will soon compliment this fact.