Woma owners? Tell me more!

Cool,
Just seemed like there were many undertones in the previous posts. I would agree completely with you about not inbreeding snakes. Especially in and animal like a woma where males are usually readily availible. I bought my girl as a baby and as she got older and to a breedable size I picked up a nice looking unrelated male. However line breeding occurs often in the ball pythons. I guess it is similar as to what happens in the dog world. I would say that it is less important in the snake world than the dog world. Especially since you see genetic disorders like hip displacia in breeds like labs and retrievers. Later Mike

Keep in mind that there is also a constant supply of new blood being introduced with BPs, in the form of imports and CH animals. Australia hasn't exported animals in many years, so the best we can hope for is some occasional stock brought in from Europe. Since we are dealing with a relatively limited gene pool to begin with, it is the responsibility of the breeder (regardless of the scale on which they participate) to keep the species strong. Genetic diversity, to the extent that it is possible, cannot be undervalued.
Further, when one is dealing with less common animals, the breeder can, and should, be a vital source of information. They should be willing and able to answer any questions the buyer might have about the general husbandry, including known problems and how to avoid them. The generic "keep them warm and feed them" line offered by some sellers is disappointing, at best, and of little use to new owners. While I certainly don't consider myself an expert on womas, I am familiar enough with their natural history that can discuss them with prospective buyers.
You may well have detected undertones - there they be, so they aren't under anything, now - but they were not directed toward anybody in particular. It was simply friendly advice from one herper to another.

They seem great, thanks for the advice. Not many webpages about them really.
I just want a single pet for now...not into breeding yet.

Oh and Mike..I knew you had woma ball pythons...do you have womas too? That is cool. I hate that the names are the same for two different species. Who came up with that dump idea.

Hey Tamara,
I actually have had my pair of Aspidites Ramsayai for about 5 years now. I bought the female from Regal Reptiles at a show in Pennsylvania. I actually found him on KS and told him I was looking for a baby female. I bought her for $850 at the time. I have had her since a hatchling and she is an awesome snake with nice colors. The male I acquired o KS as an adult from a guy who had the lone male. I got him for $500 shipped. They are a great pair and are in great health. I keep them in Vision cages with undertank heat pads. The woma ball I acquired through chance. A guy in Washington state posted them on KS as 4 adult balls he wanted to get rid of. I got all 4 animals for $237 shipped including the PMO. I had seen pics of them first and had sent the pics to Ralph Davis. He told me to get animal number 4 that it may be codom. When it got here I took more pics and sent them to Ralph again. He said very nice looks like a woma. Did some reading looked at some pics and there it was a Woma ball. Attached is a pic of the woma ball and the womas.

As long as we are going to turn this thread into showing off our animals, this is one of my females (first two pics), and her mate for this year (bred/hatched here...sorry I haven't updated his pic)

Great looking Womas Harald.Really like the pin stripes on that female.Do you have any offspring of hers around?

Chris

Thanks Chris.
Not yet...this year will be her first breeding. The male is one of my 06 hatchlings, he's young, but hopefully up to the job.

Put me on a pre- list list please.
Is it flash ....she looks like she holds a whiter color of cream?Really cool if she does.
Good luck with them , theyll make some good looking babies for sure!


Chris

The pics of her were using flash (kind of a must inside a black cage), but they accurately reflect her colors.

Hey Harald,
You female looks really nice. Tell me something you are so dedicated to these things. I heard at one point another that there was a locality difference in some of the Womas and Blackheads. That female of yours looks really different from most that I have seen. Do you know of the eastern and western womas that people refer to occasionally. Most of the ones I see look similar to your male. I like having the brighter orange heads on them. My female is nice but my male is just an average guy. Oh and by the way wasn't showing anything off just responding to a line in one of the posts. Nice looking animals! Later Mike