Womas
Aspidites ramsayi
As with Blackhead Pythons, Womas make extremely rewarding captives and an excellent project for keepers with any level of experience. They are easy to keep, being excellent feeders and having few special requirements. Womas are, for the most part, docile and calm at all ages. Most Womas will attain little over five feet in length and are easily housed in cages with a 3x2 foot floor space. This small size and their calm, inquisitive nature often make Womas the keeper's favorite species of their collection.
Womas have proven to be ready and able breeders in captivity and many are hatched annually in the U.S.. Unfortunately, little emphasis has been given to the importance of selective breeding with attention to pattern and coloration. This has led to dark, murky banded animals with very little contrast to offset the pattern. Truly excellent Womas are still quite rare in the hobby because most breeders just want Woma babies and will breed anything together to get them. I can understand this trend in the early days of Woma breeding. Like Blackheads, there simply weren't enough specimens to afford selectivity. But times have changed and it is now time to focus on the beauty these animals are capable of.
In my opinion, a good Woma is worth it's weight in gold. I don't know any breeders of quality Womas that have to sale their babies at bargain prices, nor should they. Womas are incredibly variable and tastes differ as to what makes a "good one". I like Womas that have moderate to thin banding, orange to red-orange and rich in color, over a white to yellow base color. I like for the head and ventrals to be as orange as possible and intense. The only black I want to see is in the small markings just over the eyes and I like it to be very black and contrast sharply with the orange head color. Occasionally, some brownish scales will be seen, especially in older animals. These should be minimal and not a distraction when viewing the animal as a whole.
With that said, let me say that Womas go through several life stages. They start of life bright and pretty with shining scales and nice contrast, but it doesn't last long. Womas go through a transitional period during their first year and often look their worst at this time. Even truly excellent Womas may seem flat with dull colors and a lack of contrast and at this stage. By two years old, they are usually beautiful a glowing again, but the best is yet to come. The finest age for a Woma is in their adult reproductive years. It is really amazing, gravid females a true treat for the eyes. Their orange is vibrant and vivid and the contrast to the light background color is incredible. Their heads and ventral are carrot orange. Good gravid female Womas are one of the prettiest snakes in the world. Adult males are also extremely impressive. Once the colors settle in, they look just as good as the females.
My point is this, when shopping for Womas, do so carefully. Ask the breeder for pictures of the adults and get as much background info. on the bloodline as possible. It is hard to pick young Womas. Picking keepers at birth is easy, but after a few months of growth, it becomes harder. The best way to assure good stock is to buy from reputable breeders with top-notch adults. This may mean paying a little extra, but it is worth it. I would substitute quality for numbers any day. In other words, I would pay $700-1000 each for exceptional animals over $450 each for marginal specimens, even if that meant only having a small group of breeders! With more people entering the hobby everyday, it is now an era when quality, not quantity will reign supreme. This is true of every animal regularly available on the market and the competition will not get easier.
Womas are fascinating animals and now that several dedicated keepers are focusing on selective breeding, I imagine that we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg as to how incredible these animals can look.