Chinese water dragon

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Chinese Water Dragon

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Family:	Agamidae
Genus:	Physignathus
Species:	P. cocincinus

Binomial name

Physignathus cocincinus
Cuvier, 1829

Chinese Water Dragons, Physignathus cocincinus, are also known as Asian Water Dragons, Thai Water Dragons, and Green Water Dragons. A related species, P. lesuerurii, is often called the Eastern or Australian Water Dragon.

1 Description
2 Habitat and behaviours
3 Keeping in captivity
4 Diet
5 External links

[edit] Description

Chinese water dragons (most commonly abbreviated CWD) can grow up to 3 feet in length for males and up to 2 feet for females. Coloration ranges from dark to light green. Diagonal stripes of green or turquoise are found on the body, while the tail is banded from the middle to the end with green and dark brown. Their undersides are white, very pale green, or pale yellow. Their throats can be quite colorful (generally yellow, orange, or peach), some with a single color, some with stripes. Adult males have larger, more triangular heads than females, and develop larger crests on the head, neck and tail. The tail, nearly two-thirds of the entire body length, can be used as a weapon (a whip) if the dragon feels threatened.

[edit] Habitat and behaviours

Native to both the lowland and highland forests of India, Northern and southern China, and eastern and southeastern Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Burma), CWDs are most commonly found along the banks of freshwater lakes and streams. They are active during the day (diurnal), and spend most of their time in the trees (arboreal). If threatened, the dragon will drop from the trees into the water and either swim to safety or remain submerged for up to 25 minutes. Water dragons live in areas with average humidity levels of 60-80% and temperatures ranging from 75-85°F.

[edit] Keeping in captivity

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Chinese water dragons have an excellent temperament, rarely bite, and make good pets. These reptiles are fairly new to the pet trade, and as such, most that are sold in pet stores are wild-caught juveniles that are imported. It is best to purchase a pet from a private breeder or ensure that the pet you are purchasing is captive-bred, as most wild-caught dragons carry diseases and/or parasites. When kept as pets they require special accommodations, needing a large enclosure with branches to climb on and a pool that allows them to submerge at least a third of their body. The pool should be changed frequently as the dragon will drink the water as well as defecate in it. The enclosure should be at least twice the length of the dragon and high enough to accommodate for climbing and basking areas. The optimal dimension for a full grown male dragon would be 6'x3'x6' (L x W x H). If using a glass enclosure, it is important to affix something to the front of the glass, dark colored tape or aquarium backing for example, up to eye level of the dragon so that it does not rub its nose raw, a condition known as Snout Rub. In captivity, they also require a basking area with temperatures ranging from 85-95°F, humidity levels should be no lower than 70%, but 80% is optimal. Night temperatures should be between 75-80°F. They also require full spectrum UVA-UVB lighting in order to properly absorb calcium. It is important that the lights be placed so that there is not glass between the dragon and the UV source, as glass completely filters out the UV rays. Even fine wire mesh can filter out much of the beneficial rays, but a wider mesh is acceptable. It is also important to note that placing the cage in front of a window will NOT provide the UV necessary for calcium absorption, and can dangerously raise the temperature in the cage. It is preferable to provide as much natural, unfiltered sunlight as possible; this can be achieved by having an outdoor enclosure (not glass) or by walking the dragon on a leash with a harness. If they don't receive proper lighting, they can suffer from Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), which can be disfiguring and often fatal.

[edit] Diet

The diet of the water dragon consists mainly of insects, supplemented with an occasional small fish, mammal or reptile. In captivity, crickets are usually considered a staple, but as they are relatively high in phosphorus and low in calcium, it is better to feed a more complete, varied diet. Other feeders such as butterworms (very high in calcium), silkworms, horn worms (also called Goliath worms), phoenix worms (also very high in calcium), roaches, and caterpillars make excellent feeders and should be substituted for crickets as often as possible. If feeding primarily crickets, it is very important to feed the crickets a high quality feed, provide them plenty of moisture, and dust them with a calcium supplement so that they are of higher nutritional value to your dragon. Mealworms are also fed by many, but they are high in phosphorus and very chitinous, which makes them hard to digest. Superworms are similar to mealworms, but larger, have an even higher phosphorus content, and are also very chitinous. There have been reports of superworms eating through the stomachs of dragons and other herps, but this has not been verified. Waxworms are high in fat and sugar, and so should be fed sparingly as a treat. As a dragon gets larger, it can be fed small mammals such as pinky mice (newborn) or fuzzies (slightly older), small fish such as goldfish or guppies, and other small reptiles. When feeding mammals, fish, or reptiles, it is important that the feeder animal does not have any parasites or diseases. It is also good to attempt to feed the dragon vegetation, but most dragons prefer live food. If attempting to feed vegetation for the first time, it is advisable to skip a feeding to encourage the dragon to eat the vegetation. If the dragon will not take the vegetation (also know as a "salad"), it is doubly important to make sure you are properly gut loading your feeder insects.