Woma Python (Aspidites ramsayi) Care Sheet
The Woma Python is a distinctive medium-sized terrestrial python native to the arid and semi-arid regions of Australia. Its smooth-scaled body, narrow head and bands of brown, orange and cream make it immediately recognisable.
Unlike most pythons, Woma Pythons lack functional heat-sensing labial pits. They are active predators that investigate burrows, crevices and ground cover in search of prey.
Captive-bred Womas can make impressive long-term captives, but they are strong, highly food-motivated snakes requiring substantial floor space, secure accommodation, carefully controlled heating and opportunities to dig and explore.
Quick Facts
Scientific name: Aspidites ramsayi
Common name: Woma Python
Family: Pythonidae
Origin: Australia
Adult size: Commonly approximately 150–180 cm (5–6 ft), with some individuals exceeding this
Lifespan: Approximately 20–30+ years with appropriate care
Activity: Primarily crepuscular/nocturnal, although activity varies
Lifestyle: Predominantly terrestrial
Diet: Carnivorous
Temperament: Generally manageable but highly food-responsive
Experience level: Intermediate
Natural History
Woma Pythons occur across parts of central and western Australia.
They inhabit predominantly dry environments including:
- Desert
- Semi-desert
- Grassland
- Shrubland
- Sandy plains
- Dune systems
They frequently use burrows and other underground retreats to escape extreme daytime temperatures.
Womas are active predators and may enter the burrows of other reptiles and mammals while hunting.
Their natural prey can include:
- Reptiles
- Small mammals
- Birds
They are particularly well adapted to hunting reptiles, including other snakes.
Captive husbandry should reflect their terrestrial and exploratory lifestyle while providing secure retreats and opportunities for digging.
Heat-Sensing Pits
One unusual characteristic of the genus Aspidites is the absence of the prominent heat-sensitive labial pits found in many other pythons.
Woma Pythons and their close relatives, Black-Headed Pythons (Aspidites melanocephalus), do not possess the typical functional labial heat pits seen in species such as Royal Pythons.
Instead, they rely heavily upon other senses when locating prey.
This is a normal anatomical feature and does not impair their ability to hunt effectively.
Enclosure
Woma Pythons are active terrestrial snakes and require substantial usable floor space.
For an average adult, approximately:
180 × 60 × 60 cm (6 × 2 × 2 ft)
should be considered a practical minimum starting point, with larger accommodation encouraged.
Where possible, the enclosure should allow the snake to fully stretch out.
Provide:
- Warm hide
- Cool hide
- Additional retreats
- Deep substrate
- Cork bark
- Low branches
- Rocks
- Visual barriers
- Fresh water
Floor space is more important than excessive height, although low climbing opportunities can provide useful enrichment.
Enclosure Security
Woma Pythons are strong snakes.
The enclosure must have:
- Robust construction
- Secure doors
- Reliable locks
- Protected ventilation
- Secure cable openings
Any internally mounted heating or lighting equipment must be protected by appropriate guards.
Heavy furnishings should be securely positioned so they cannot shift if the snake burrows beneath or pushes against them.
Housing
Woma Pythons should normally be housed individually.
This is particularly important because wild Womas naturally prey upon other reptiles, including snakes.
Permanent cohabitation introduces risks including:
- Cannibalism
- Feeding accidents
- Competition
- Stress
- Unwanted reproduction
- Difficulty monitoring individual animals
Animals intended for breeding should only be introduced deliberately and monitored closely.
They should not simply be left permanently together.
Temperature & Heating
Woma Pythons originate from warm environments but still require a thermal gradient.
Suitable temperatures are approximately:
Basking surface: 34–36°C
Warm hide: approximately 30–32°C
Cool end: approximately 24–27°C
Night: approximately 20–24°C
The snake must always be able to move away from the heat.
A relatively hot basking surface does not mean the entire enclosure should be maintained at high temperature.
Overhead heating is generally recommended.
Suitable heat sources can include:
- Halogen basking lamps
- Deep heat projectors
- Ceramic heat emitters where appropriate
All heat sources must be controlled by a suitable thermostat.
Internally mounted heaters must be protected by secure guards.
Temperatures should be monitored with reliable digital thermometers.
An infrared thermometer is useful for checking basking surface temperatures.
Lighting & UVB
Provide approximately:
10–12 hours of light per day
with seasonal adjustment if desired.
Although Woma Pythons have historically been maintained without UVB, providing access to low-level UVB is recommended where practical.
Aim for approximately:
UVI 1–2 in the exposed basking area
while providing shaded retreats where exposure approaches zero.
A linear UVB lamp can provide an appropriate gradient.
Actual UV exposure depends upon:
- Lamp output
- Reflector
- Mesh
- Distance
- Enclosure furnishings
Follow manufacturer recommendations and ideally verify exposure using an appropriate UV meter.
The enclosure should become dark at night.
Avoid coloured nighttime bulbs.
Humidity
Woma Pythons originate from relatively dry environments and should not be maintained in permanently humid conditions.
A useful general range is approximately:
30–50% relative humidity
with natural fluctuations.
A humid hide should be available, particularly during shedding.
This allows the snake to select higher humidity without raising moisture throughout the entire enclosure.
Good ventilation is essential.
Constantly damp substrate can contribute to:
- Scale infections
- Bacterial growth
- Respiratory problems
Humidity requirements should always be considered alongside hydration and access to fresh water.
Water
Fresh drinking water must be available at all times.
Provide a stable water bowl large enough for comfortable drinking.
The bowl should be difficult to overturn because Woma Pythons are strong and active.
Water should be changed regularly and immediately whenever contaminated.
The container should be thoroughly cleaned rather than simply topped up.
Persistent soaking is unusual and should prompt investigation of:
- Mites
- Excessive enclosure temperatures
- Dehydration
- Other husbandry or health problems
Substrate
Woma Pythons benefit considerably from substrate that allows digging and burrowing behaviour.
Suitable options include:
- Reptile-safe soil mixtures
- Sandy soil mixtures designed for arid reptiles
- Aspen
- Lignocel
- Appropriate naturalistic arid substrates
A reasonably deep layer should be provided where possible.
The substrate should support burrowing without being dusty or permanently wet.
Avoid:
- Cedar
- Pine
- Calcium sand
- Sharp gravel
- Excessively dusty substrates
- Artificially scented products
Paper-based substrate can be useful during quarantine or medical monitoring.
Hides
At least two secure hides should be provided:
- One at the warm end
- One at the cool end
Additional retreats are strongly encouraged.
Woma Pythons naturally make use of underground shelters and often appreciate relatively enclosed hides.
Suitable options include:
- Cork bark
- Commercial reptile caves
- Purpose-built hide boxes
- Secure artificial burrows
The snake should be able to select different temperatures without sacrificing security.
Furnishing & Enrichment
Woma Pythons are active and inquisitive snakes.
Suitable enrichment includes:
- Deep substrate
- Cork bark
- Low branches
- Secure rocks
- Artificial burrows
- Different substrate textures
- Leaf litter
- Plants
- Visual barriers
Regularly changing small aspects of the environment can provide additional opportunities for exploration without completely disrupting the snake’s familiar territory.
Heavy objects must be securely supported so they cannot collapse onto a burrowing snake.
Diet
Woma Pythons are carnivorous.
Captive animals can generally be maintained primarily on appropriately sized rodents.
Suitable prey includes:
- Mice
- Rats
- Other appropriately sourced whole vertebrate prey where suitable
Frozen-thawed prey is generally recommended.
Wild Womas consume substantial numbers of reptiles, but captive snakes do not require a diet of live reptiles to remain healthy.
A nutritionally appropriate whole-prey diet can be provided without using live reptile prey.
Feeding Frequency
Juveniles require smaller meals more frequently because they are growing.
Healthy adults can generally be offered an appropriately sized meal approximately every:
10–14 days
with feeding frequency adjusted according to:
- Prey size
- Age
- Activity
- Body condition
- Reproductive status
Large adults receiving substantial meals may require longer intervals.
Feeding schedules should be adjusted according to body condition rather than appetite alone.
Feeding Response
Woma Pythons are often extremely enthusiastic feeders.
A feeding response should not be confused with aggression.
The snake may rapidly investigate movement or scent when expecting food.
Use long feeding tongs when presenting prey.
Avoid placing hands carrying rodent scent directly into the enclosure.
A consistent routine can help distinguish feeding from routine maintenance.
There is generally no need to move the snake into a separate container for feeding.
Avoid Overfeeding
Woma Pythons can become overweight in captivity.
Their willingness to feed does not mean food should be offered whenever they appear interested.
A healthy Woma should remain muscular and well defined rather than excessively rounded.
Chronic overfeeding can contribute to:
- Obesity
- Reduced activity
- Fatty liver disease
- Reproductive complications
- Reduced longevity
Regular weighing and photographs from above can help monitor long-term body condition.
Handling
Captive-bred Woma Pythons can generally become tolerant of sensible handling.
However, their strong feeding response requires awareness.
When handling:
- Ensure the snake is not expecting food
- Support the body properly
- Allow it to move naturally
- Avoid tight restraint
- Keep sessions appropriate to the individual
- Avoid handling immediately after feeding
- Avoid unnecessary handling during shedding
Young animals may initially be defensive.
Regular calm interaction can help them become accustomed to routine maintenance.
Shedding
Before shedding, a Woma Python may:
- Become duller in colour
- Develop cloudy eyes
- Spend more time hiding
- Reduce activity
- Refuse food
Healthy animals should normally shed in one complete piece.
Provide:
- Fresh water
- Humid hide
- Appropriate environmental humidity
- Rough surfaces such as cork bark
Repeated incomplete sheds can indicate inadequate hydration, unsuitable humidity or illness.
Retained spectacles and stubborn retained skin should not be forcibly removed from a dry snake.
Health
Potential health concerns include:
- Obesity
- Respiratory infections
- Mites
- Internal parasites
- Scale infections
- Mouth infections
- Retained shed
- Burns
- Regurgitation
- Reproductive complications
Warning signs include:
- Persistent weight loss
- Repeated regurgitation
- Wheezing
- Open-mouth breathing
- Excessive mucus
- Bubbles around the nostrils or mouth
- Unexplained swelling
- Persistent abnormal faeces
- Neurological abnormalities
- Significant behavioural changes
An occasional period of reduced appetite is not automatically abnormal, particularly in mature animals experiencing seasonal or reproductive changes.
Persistent or serious symptoms require assessment by a suitably experienced reptile/exotic veterinarian.
Quarantine
New snakes should undergo quarantine away from established reptiles.
During quarantine:
- Record body weight
- Monitor feeding
- Check carefully for mites
- Observe faeces
- Monitor breathing
- Use easily cleaned furnishings
- Maintain separate equipment where practical
Veterinary faecal testing may be appropriate where an animal’s previous history is uncertain.
Captive-bred animals from reliable sources should be preferred.
Breeding
Woma Pythons are egg-laying snakes.
Only healthy, mature animals in appropriate body condition should be bred.
Breeding requires an understanding of:
- Sexing
- Sexual maturity
- Seasonal cycling
- Pairing
- Courtship
- Ovulation
- Egg laying
- Incubation
- Hatchling husbandry
Females may coil around their eggs after laying.
Captive incubation is commonly used to provide precisely controlled conditions.
Males and females do not need to remain housed together permanently.
Accurate breeding and lineage records should be maintained.
Hatchlings
Hatchling Woma Pythons require secure accommodation with:
- Appropriate thermal gradient
- Small secure hides
- Fresh water
- Correct humidity
- Appropriately sized prey
Some neonates can initially be reluctant feeders, while others demonstrate the strong feeding response characteristic of adults.
Body weight and condition should be monitored.
Enclosures must be particularly secure because young snakes can exploit small openings.
Conservation
Woma Pythons have experienced declines in parts of their Australian range due to threats including habitat alteration and predation by introduced species.
The species is protected under Australian wildlife legislation.
Australia maintains strict controls over the commercial export of native wildlife.
Woma Pythons maintained within the international reptile hobby therefore descend from established captive populations outside Australia.
Responsible breeders should maintain accurate lineage records and avoid unnecessary hybridisation.
Responsible Ownership
Woma Pythons can live for 20–30 years or longer and should be regarded as a substantial long-term commitment.
Prospective keepers should consider:
- Adult enclosure size
- Heating requirements
- Food costs
- Veterinary care
- Holiday care
- Strong feeding response
- Long lifespan
Their moderate adult size does not justify keeping them permanently in small tubs or minimal enclosures.
A well-designed environment should allow natural thermoregulation, burrowing, exploration and choice.
Never release a captive snake into the wild.
Summary
The Woma Python is a distinctive and fascinating Australian python whose active terrestrial lifestyle and specialised natural history make it very different from many commonly maintained python species.
Successful husbandry depends upon providing a large secure enclosure, substantial floor space, deep substrate, a strong but carefully controlled thermal gradient, low-level UVB, relatively dry conditions, multiple secure retreats and appropriately sized whole prey without overfeeding.
Their powerful feeding response requires sensible management, but established captive-bred animals can become calm and manageable snakes.
With appropriate husbandry, Aspidites ramsayi can remain an impressive captive reptile for several decades.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
This care sheet provides general husbandry guidance and does not replace species-specific research or veterinary advice. Individual requirements may vary.
If you have concerns about an animal’s health or care, consult a suitably experienced exotic or reptile veterinarian.
Information correct at the date of publication.
reptilecommunity.com | Revised: August 2026