Woma Python the Sand Python of Australia
The woma python, scientifically known as Aspidites ramsayi, is also referred to as Ramsay’s python, the sand python, or simply the woma. This snake species belongs to the family Pythonidae and is native to Australia.
Once widespread across Western Australia, it has now become critically endangered in certain areas.
Taxonomy
William John Macleay first described the species in 1882, naming it Aspidites ramsayi. The specific epithet, ramsayi, honours Edward Pierson Ramsay, an Australian zoologist.
This species is one of two in the genus Aspidites, known as pitless pythons. The genus name Aspidites translates to “shield bearer,” alluding to the symmetrically shaped head scales.
Description
Adult woma pythons typically reach about 1.5 metres (4.5 feet) in total length, including the tail. They possess a narrow head with small eyes, and their bodies are broad and somewhat flat in profile, tapering to a slender tail.
The dorsal scales are small and smooth, arranged in 50–65 rows at midbody. The ventral scales number between 280 and 315, with an undivided anal plate and 40–45 mostly single subcaudal scales. Some of the posterior subcaudals may be irregularly divided.
The dorsal colour can range from pale brown to nearly black, featuring a ground colour that varies from medium brown and olive to lighter shades of orange, pink, and red, overlaid with darker striped or brindled markings. The belly is cream or light yellow with brown and pink blotches, and the scales around the eyes are usually darker than the rest of the head.
Aspidites ramsayi can reach a total length of up to 2.3 metres (7.5 feet), with a snout-vent length (SVL) of 2.0 metres (6.6 feet).
Unlike other pythons, snakes of the genus ;Aspidites lack heat-sensing pits. A. ramsayi is similar in appearance to A. melanocephalus, but without an obvious neck. The species’ coloration may lead to confusion with the venomous Pseudonaja nuchalis, commonly known as the gwardar.
Distribution and Habitat
Aspidites ramsayi inhabits the western and central parts of Australia, from Western Australia through southern Northern Territory and northern South Australia to southern Queensland and northwestern New South Wales. Its range may be discontinuous. The type locality is “near Forte Bourke” in New South Wales.
In Southwest Australia, its range extends from Shark Bay along the coast and inland regions, previously common on sandplains. The species was recorded in regions to the south and east, with once extensive populations in the wheatbelt and goldfield areas.
Conservation Status
Aspidites ramsayi is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
The Adelaide Zoo in South Australia coordinates a captive breeding program for the species. Offspring raised have been released into the Arid Recovery Reserve in the state’s north, but efforts have been thwarted by predation from the mulga snake (Pseudechis australis).
Locally populations in the southwest of the country have become critically endangered since the 1960s due to altered land use. The sharp decline in numbers, without an authenticated record since 1989, was most notable in the Wheatbelt areas.
Behaviour
Aspidites ramsayi is primarily nocturnal. During the day, it shelters in hollow logs or under leaf debris. When traversing hot sands or other surfaces, it lifts its body off the ground and reaches far forward before pushing off again, keeping only a few inches of its body in contact with the ground at a time.
Feeding
Aspidites ramsayi preys on various terrestrial vertebrates such as small mammals, ground birds, and lizards. It catches much of its prey in burrows where there is not enough room to manoeuvre coils around the prey. Instead, the woma pushes a loop of its body against the animal to pin it against the side of the burrow. Many adult womas bear scars from retaliating rodents, as this technique does not kill prey as quickly as normal constriction.
Although this species will take warm-blooded prey when offered, A. ramsayi primarily preys on reptiles. Perhaps due to this, species within the genus Aspidites lack the characteristic heat-sensing pits of pythons, although they possess an equivalent sensory structure in the rostral scale.
Reproduction
Aspidites ramsayi is oviparous, with females laying between five to 20 eggs per clutch. Females remain coiled around their eggs until they hatch, with the incubation period lasting 2–3 months. An adult female about 4–5 years old and 1.5 metres in total length usually lays about 11 eggs.
Captivity
Considered more active than many pythons and very docile, the woma is highly sought after in the reptile and exotic pet trade. It is one of the hardiest python species in captivity, often enthusiastically accepting prey and other items. It’s popularity as a pet has most likely made it a target for poachers in the international reptile trade.
