# Woma Python (*Aspidites ramsayi*) The Woma Python is a beautiful snake that loves to burrow in the sand. It has a smooth body and can be found in different colors, making it special and unique! - **Category:** [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/reptile) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Desert - **Also known as:** Sand Python, Woma ![Woma Python](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Woma_01_Pengo.jpg&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woma_01_Pengo.jpg) ## Appearance The Woma Python is a moderately-sized snake with a slender body, featuring a pale cream to yellow head and body, distinctly marked with irregular, dark brown or reddish-brown bands. Its smooth scales and small eyes are set in a flattened head, giving it a unique, somewhat blunt appearance. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Squamata - **Order:** Serpentes - **Family:** Pythonidae - **Genus:** Aspidites ## Interesting facts - Its name 'Woma' comes from an Aboriginal Australian language, reflecting its native land! - They spend much of their lives hidden away in burrows beneath the hot desert sands! - This python pins prey against burrow walls to squeeze them, a unique hunting method! - Woma Pythons often eat other reptiles, including lizards and even other snakes! ## Special abilities - **Burrow Boss:** Woma Python can dig burrows using its hardened, shovel-like snout to escape heat or ambush prey. - **Sand Swimmer:** Woma Python has smooth scales and a pointed snout that helps them move through sand almost like swimming. - **Heat Vision:** Woma Python has special heat-sensing pits around its mouth to detect the warm bodies of prey in total darkness. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 150-270 cm - **Weight:** 2-6 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-20 years - **Speed:** 2 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 5-20 - **Incubation:** 50-70 days ## Diet & Feeding A carnivorous hunter, the Woma Python preys on small mammals, birds, and other reptiles. - **Primary Foods:** Rodents, Lizards, Small birds, Other snakes - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Mitchell's Hopping Mouse (*Notomys mitchellii*) — A key food source in its arid habitat. - **Hunts:** Central Netted Dragon (*Ctenophorus nuchalis*) — Preys on these common lizards in its range. - **Eaten by:** Wedge-tailed Eagle (*Aquila audax*) — Young Womas are vulnerable to this large raptor. - **Eaten by:** Dingo (*Canis familiaris*) — Predated by dingoes, especially when on the surface. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Burrowing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/burrowing): Burrowing animals dig tunnels and chambers in the ground, using these subterranean structures for shelter, hunting, or breeding. - [Desert](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/desert): Desert habitats are arid regions characterized by extremely low precipitation and often extreme temperatures, supporting specialized flora and fauna. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. ## Collections - [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Always watch from a distance and never try to touch wild snakes. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Woma Python? Compare the full body pattern, build, head markings and tail. Color can shift with age and lighting. Rules of thumb about triangular heads or round pupils aren't a reliable way to tell whether a snake is venomous. Snake Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Woma Python? 150-270 cm ### How much does Woma Python weigh? 2-6 kg ### How long does Woma Python live? 15-20 years ### How fast can Woma Python move? 2 km/h ### What does Woma Python eat? A carnivorous hunter, the Woma Python preys on small mammals, birds, and other reptiles. ### Where is Woma Python usually found? Desert ### How does Woma Python hunt? Ambush ## Where to spot - [Kentucky Down Under](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/kentucky-down-under) — Kentucky, US · Zoo ## More Reptiles - [Pond Slider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pond-slider) (*Trachemys scripta*) - [Western Fence Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-fence-lizard) (*Sceloporus occidentalis*) - [Common Five-lined Skink](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-five-lined-skink) (*Plestiodon fasciatus*) - [Desert Spiny Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/desert-spiny-lizard) (*Sceloporus magister*) --- Source: [Woma Python: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/woma-python)