Woma owners? Tell me more!

Okay so I must say, I have always thought Woma's were stunning. I held my first at a recent show and I am in love. They are also reportedly very calm and easy to handle. Doing research they don't seem much harder to keep than balls..but is that really true? The bad part about most websites about them...is they are selling them!
So what is the truth? What do you think of them? Would you get one again?
Are they good for ummm advanced beginners? I have 4 snakes now, but have only owned snakes for about 8 months. I have other years of herp experience..but those were iggies.
Any advice?

Tara, I just recently acquired an adult pair myself and I am keeping them just like I do my ball pythons except in a bigger cage. Mine are extremely docile and calm. I am not the most experienced at keeping them but mine seem to be thriving.

Mike here in Heathsville again. The Womas are easy to care for. I have had my pair as long as I have had my collection in general. You ought come check my stuff out some time. I will be puttin my pair together here pretty soon. Hoping to get some babies this year. The only thing I have found more difficult about them is hatching there eggs. I have bred them 2 out of the last 3 season. I got fertile eggs both time. But I ended up having the eggs go bad. I got new incubators for this season and I am ready to try them again. I have been told that the eggs don't need as much mositure as ball or carpet python eggs. I will be breeding my Jungle Carpet to my Coastal Carpet this year as well. The womas top out around 6 feet. So they are a little longer than the balls. I would say that getting them out of the cage can be a little trickier as well. Mine have a feeding response but the thing is I don't feed thme in there cage. It seems that all my animals get really active and must smell the rats and mice thawing when I get ready to feed everybody. Hope this all helps. Later Mike

Well, if you don't mind commentary from one that breeds and sells them....
Womas are a great mid-sized python. I would say that they are easier in many ways than BPs: much less stringent heat requirements, and they tolerate lower humidity well (you can still get them too dry - but the most likely result is bad sheds, as opposed to illness). They typically have a great feeding response, one that can almost become a frenzy in many specimens. (yes, that means that many will think anything coming into the cage is fair game.) I wouldn't recommmend a tank, but I don't think they make good enclosures for snakes, in general.

Take a bit of time learning about the snakes before you jump into the purchase, and don't be afraid to be picky about the animal and the person you buy from.

Well said Harald. I didn't want to comment too much as I am still learning more about them myself.
I can say they are an absolute joy to handle. Very soft and much easier to handle than my black pine! As far as feeding response, mine are pretty laid back compared to most from what I hear. Both male and female do not constrict their rats.

I've got some that are the same way, Ron...they are quite happy to meander over and eat something I leave in the cage. Others watch anxiously from the time they see the bucket. (Some of it does have to do with age/growth/feeding schedule, too - they are not ambush predators, and should not be maintained as such)

Originally Posted by hhmoore

Take a bit of time learning about the snakes before you jump into the purchase, and don't be afraid to be picky about the animal and the person you buy from.

hint - when considering a purchase, don't hesitate to ask general and specific questions about womas...and remember to ask about the parents: what lines they are from, who bred them, etc.
Waaaayyyy too many people are taking the cheap & easy way out and purchasing sibling pairs when they intend to breed

My big female does exactly that. I place her rat on a tub lid in her cage and she meanders over, smells it, then daintily pics it up and eats it. My wife is accustomed to seeing corns and pits eat so the first time she saw her eat, she was a little surprised.
She has the sweetest disposition too. My male has huffed at me a few times but never shown any aggression.

Not really sure what your beef is with me. Other than maybe since something out of the ordinary works for me bothers you. But it is interesting that you notice the same thing about them as far a feeding response. I did not realize that is was so importand to some people to have a brand name snake. As far as I am concerned as long the mother and father are not related then you should end up with a healthy snake. I know where my female woma originated from since I purchased her as a baby from regal reptiles several years ago. And she is a beautiful animal. I gues If I decide to post my opinion on this web site I ought to run it buy you first. Thanks Mike

Michael - I'm not sure where you get the idea I have a beef with you...nothing I have said in this thread had anything to do with you.

As far as "brand name" - no, it isn't important that snakes be from a specific breeder or line...but knowing the origins of the animals is part of the process for many people (online sales being a huge part of this business, it is easy for a clutch to be sent all over the country; and crossing "lines" is an easy way to ensure genetic diversity).