Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am going to be purchasing my first woma and am confused about the proper substrate to use. I was going to use aspen bedding like I use for my corn and rat snakes, but the person at the store I'm buying him from said to use sand. Hmmmm . . . am very unsure about using sand, possible impaction and all that. Of course, he could get impacted from bark also, but I feed all my snakes outside their tanks to minimize that risk. Does anybody else have an opinion/preference?

Also, I have yet to find a detailed care sheet for womas. From what I've read, it seems like the set-up is the same as you would use for a corn or rat. I know they can get aggresive during feeding. Is there anything else I should know?

I'm probably sounding like a total worrywart, but considering how much womas cost, I'd rather be safe that sorry!

I use Eco Fresh on my womas and stimsons. It's made of recycled newspaper and looks like pea gravel. They can burrow in it and if they happen to swallow any it doesnt cause problems. It also helps keep a nice dry environment.

I would stay away from sand. I think it would be difficult to keep a tank with sand clean and free of bacteria. I line the bottom of my cages with newspaper, then put aspen on top. I have also used Care-Fresh (another recycled paper product), and that worked well. My womas will often be found in their caves or under the newspaper.

Other than womas being hardy and easy to care for, I wouldn't compare their requirements to that of corn or rat snake. Womas need it considerably hotter, drier, and bigger.

Being a colubrid-keeper myself, I was surprise at the feeding responses of my womas. They will literally launch themselves out of their cages with their mouths open when I open the door. I haven't been bitten yet, but I'm sure my time is coming. They also grow at an unbelieveable pace. On a once-weekly feeding, my 2003 womas are over four feet and eating medium rats.

Enjoy your new woma! They are great fun to work with.

Ronda
-----
Ronda Van Winkle
Northwest Herpetoculture