Looking for some advice. I have a female woma python that I don't know how to make less aggressive. I've had her since 2014, and she's just becoming more and more aggressive, both in and out of the cage. She strikes at the glass, and you can't even fill up her water bowl without her attempting to grab you. She's never just struck either, she bites and doesn't let go. I don't know what to do short of giving her away to someone that is more experienced. She's on her own in a room without much disruption, she's feed every 2-3 weeks and health wise is perfect.
Help - Super Aggressive Python
- Thread starter Chessa
- Start date
Help Support Aussie Pythons & Snakes Forum:
- Status
Hey. So temps range from room temp about 22 to heated box at 32. This happens mostly out of shed, generally don't see her while she is shedding. Feeding her rats about medium to large depending on what the shops have.
Nothing had changed recently, same behavior I've seen for quite some time. I'll try and find a recent photo, can't handle her to measure her up.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Nothing had changed recently, same behavior I've seen for quite some time. I'll try and find a recent photo, can't handle her to measure her up.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Bl69aze
Very Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2017
- Messages
- 1,870
- Reaction score
- 1,112
Is she only being defensive in cage? Her biting and letting go is a defensive bite, as you already probably know, however I have seen womas be super angry when trying to be taken out of their enclosure, but then puppy dog tame
Once out. Do you have a snake hook to assist?
Once out. Do you have a snake hook to assist?
The biting is both in and out of the cage. Have tried the hook you assist too. Depends on the day, she's mostly ok with the hook but sometimes bites it too. As soon as you touch her she tries to bite and wrap. That photo was one of the rare occasions she was placid
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Synveil
Not so new Member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2018
- Messages
- 61
- Reaction score
- 31
I'm still relatively new to the hobby, but biting and wrapping would be a sign of hunger you would think? Perhaps her feeding isnt quite often enough? The spacing if 2 to 3 weeks between meals may be a little more than she wants.
Also, her temps of 32 on the hot end seems low for a grown woma, I've got my hatchling on 32-33 degree heat 24/7 at the moment, but a sub adult-adult should be on 35-38 degree heat if I'm not mistaken.
Also, her temps of 32 on the hot end seems low for a grown woma, I've got my hatchling on 32-33 degree heat 24/7 at the moment, but a sub adult-adult should be on 35-38 degree heat if I'm not mistaken.
Feeding more might help, but it could just be that the snake is 'wired' to try and eat pretty much anything.
[doublepost=1540726954,1540726480][/doublepost]
I don't keep womas, but I have not heard of snakes needing 35-38C temperatures. Typically access to 32C and cooler area is good for most species. Having temperatures around 35-38C is dangerous unless it is an isolated basking spot in a well ventilated (or otherwise providing a much cooler area) enclosure.
[doublepost=1540726954,1540726480][/doublepost]
I don't keep womas, but I have not heard of snakes needing 35-38C temperatures. Typically access to 32C and cooler area is good for most species. Having temperatures around 35-38C is dangerous unless it is an isolated basking spot in a well ventilated (or otherwise providing a much cooler area) enclosure.
Synveil
Not so new Member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2018
- Messages
- 61
- Reaction score
- 31
As I said I'm relatively new to the hobby, and I've been going from a number of care sheets that suggest the 30-33 degree for hatchling womas and 35-36 (some say to 38) degree heat for a grown snake.
Bl69aze
Very Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2017
- Messages
- 1,870
- Reaction score
- 1,112
Oops thought u said she bites and does let go
That’s def a feeding response bite if she’s wrapping around
Maybe up the food size or frequency? What’s the weight of your food? Your medium sized food could be someone else’s weaner size (hehe)
Who’s to say a bitey snake is a bad thing? Gives you experience and u can learn to deal with them better in future
That’s def a feeding response bite if she’s wrapping around
Maybe up the food size or frequency? What’s the weight of your food? Your medium sized food could be someone else’s weaner size (hehe)
Who’s to say a bitey snake is a bad thing? Gives you experience and u can learn to deal with them better in future
Last edited:
I think being a Woma she's just hungry all the time maybe? The last lot I bought were on the small side, probably 200g rats. I'll try feeding more often, hopefully she calms down a little. Took some more pics this morning.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Bl69aze
Very Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2017
- Messages
- 1,870
- Reaction score
- 1,112
I have heard of some womas being overly food motivated and strike everything, was she ever non bitey?I think being a Woma she's just hungry all the time maybe? The last lot I bought were on the small side, probably 200g rats. I'll try feeding more often, hopefully she calms down a little. Took some more pics this morning.
Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Some Womas (like all species can be) are just bitey, my son used to have 1 that bit him on the hand and then wrapped around his neck.I suppose it was lucky I was there to unwrap it as he was having trouble breathing. He ended up swapping it for a Darwin but now he wishes he still had it as he has more experience now and thinks he could control it better.
This is a very simple situation with a very simple explanation. Unfortunately, there isn't a quick, easy solution.
Your Woma loves to eat and sees you as food. This is not anger or fear or anything of the sort, she just thinks you are something she can eat. There are two potential ways to fix this, one of which may not be easy, the other is not good and may not work anyway. The more difficult way is to train her to know that humans are not food. Frequent handling of the right type (which is not really easy for a newbie to understand) might work, but won't be quick or easy to accomplish, if it's at all possible. If your snake currently recognises humans as food, it may be as difficult to convince her otherwise as it is to convince a woma that any other animals such as rats and lizards are not food. The other method is to simply feed her so much that she isn't hungry. She doesn't look overweight and if she's striking at the glass at any movement, she's extremely hungry (perhaps just because she's a pig, which is common in womas), so I would definitely feed her at least a little more. If that doesn't change anything, I'd just accept that's how she is and either love her as she is or give her to someone who likes her and get yourself a snake which handles comfortably.
If it's simply that she recognises humans as food, you probably just can't 'fix' it because it's not a 'problem' as such.
Your Woma loves to eat and sees you as food. This is not anger or fear or anything of the sort, she just thinks you are something she can eat. There are two potential ways to fix this, one of which may not be easy, the other is not good and may not work anyway. The more difficult way is to train her to know that humans are not food. Frequent handling of the right type (which is not really easy for a newbie to understand) might work, but won't be quick or easy to accomplish, if it's at all possible. If your snake currently recognises humans as food, it may be as difficult to convince her otherwise as it is to convince a woma that any other animals such as rats and lizards are not food. The other method is to simply feed her so much that she isn't hungry. She doesn't look overweight and if she's striking at the glass at any movement, she's extremely hungry (perhaps just because she's a pig, which is common in womas), so I would definitely feed her at least a little more. If that doesn't change anything, I'd just accept that's how she is and either love her as she is or give her to someone who likes her and get yourself a snake which handles comfortably.
If it's simply that she recognises humans as food, you probably just can't 'fix' it because it's not a 'problem' as such.
- Status
Similar threads
