How to Breed Woma Pythons

Reduce the lighting for your pythons to natural light only in October onwards. Do not place the pythons in direct sunlight, but allow natural sunlight to filter in through a window on the opposite side of the room. Feed the pythons their last meal in early October. They may have already stopped feeding during the late summer.

Reduce the temperature of the pythons' habitats progressively. Use an infrared non-contact body thermometer to measure the pythons' temperatures. By the beginning of December the nighttime temperature should be reduced to between 60 and 65 degrees F. The maximum daytime temperature should be 80 to 85 degrees F.

Put the male python into the female's cage. The pythons should mate frequently during the cooling and warming up period.

Increase the temperature in the pythons' habitat progressively, starting at the end of February, through to the end of March. Their nighttime body temperature should be between 75 to 80 degrees F. and the daytime temperature between 85 and 90 degrees F. Raise the temperature in the male's habitat to prepare it for his return.

Move the male back to his habitat by the end of the warming up process. When the female sheds her skin, no more mating will occur. Offer the male his first meal after 24 hours. Observe the female. If she lies on her side or completely upside down, you know that she is gravid.

Put a python nesting box into the female python's habitat. Put an inch layer of vermiculite into the nesting box and moisten it with water. It should feel clumpy and earthy. The nest box should be big enough for your female python to easily fit inside. The female will lay her eggs in the nesting box after pushing it into her preferred position in the habitat.

Gently separate the woma python from her eggs. Rest her for 24 hours and then offer her a meal.

Choose an incubator that is big enough to fit the nesting box inside. Removing the eggs from the nesting box can easily damage them. Set the incubator temperature to 89 degrees F. Read egg surface temperatures regularly; they should read 88.5 degrees F.

Leave the eggs stuck together in the nesting box and cover them loosely with 1 inch more of the damp vermiculite. Covering the eggs prevents condensation dripping onto them from the roof of the incubator. Woma python eggs are very susceptible to mold and should not get too wet. They must not dry out either; the vermiculite mix prevents this. Put the nesting box into the incubator.

Inspect the eggs every week to two weeks. Brush off the vermiculite and check for mold. Put fresh damp vermiculite over the eggs. The eggs will hatch in about 60 days.