Vivariums;reptiles;Agamid;Chinese water

Chinese water dragon

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chinese water dragon (Physignathus cocincinus) is a species of agamid lizard native to China and mainland Southeast Asia. It is also known as Asian water dragon, Thai water dragon, and green water dragon.

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

Description :

Chinese water dragons can grow up to 1 m (3.3 ft) in total length, including tail, and can live from ten to fifteen years. Coloration ranges from dark to light green, or sometimes purple with an orange stomach. 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 white. Their undersides range from white, off white, very pale green, or pale yellow. But their throats are considered to be more attractive, which can be quite colorful (blue and purple, 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, and are larger in general. The tail, slightly over two-thirds of the entire body length, can be used as a weapon, for balance, and to assist swimming.[1]

Like many other reptiles the Chinese water dragon possesses a small, iridescent, photosensitive spot between their eyes referred to as the pineal eye (or parietal eye, or colloquially as the third eye) that is thought to help thermoregulate their bodies by sensing differences in light to assist with basking and seeking shelter after sunset.[2] Since it recognizes differences in light, the parietal eye can also help the lizard avoid predation from birds and other aerial threats, and can awaken from deep sleep from even slight changes in light from overhead. These animals are very docile and allow physical activity.

Habitat and behaviors :

Native to the lowland and highland forests of southern China and southeastern Asia (Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Burma), Chinese water dragons are most commonly found along the banks of freshwater lakes and streams.[1] They are active during the day (diurnal), and spend most of their time in the trees or plants (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 40–80% and temperatures ranging from 80–90 °F (26–32 °C).

Diet :

Though they will also eat vegetation, the diet of the water dragon consists mainly of insects, supplemented with an occasional small fish, mammal or reptile.

Invasive species :

Chinese water dragons have established themselves in Hong Kong, probably from released pet animals.[3]

Detailed view of head

Gallery :

Head - Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Khao Yai National Park, Thailand

Detailed view of legs and scales

Video :

For the external links , refrences click here to read the full wikipedia article

My gorgeous chinese water dragon

Top 5 Myths about Chinese Water Dragons.

Other websites :

- Very Good : www.triciaswaterdragon.com/dragoncr.htm

- Very Good : www.chinesewaterdragon.net/

- www.herpcenter.com/lizard-care-sheets/chinese-water-dragon-care-sheet/

www.thereptilian.co.uk/care_sheets/chinese_water_dragon_physignathus_cocincinus_care_sheet.htm

- reptileapartment.com/water-dragon-captive-care-of-the-chinese-water-dragon/

- www.reptiletalk.net/chinese-water-dragon/

- www.petmd.com/reptile/species/chinese-water-dragon

10 Chinese Water Dragon Facts You Must Know

courtesy to : beardeddragontank.com/10-chinese-water-dragon-facts-you-must-know

Firstly, if you are reading this article, then it either means you are thinking about getting yourself a Chinese water dragon or you have already purchased one. Either way, congratulations! Water dragons prove to be wonderful pets. If you take proper care of your water dragon, then it’s very likely that you will have a very tame and wonderful pet on hand. To help you with taking care of your new family member, I have compiled a list of Chinese water dragon facts.

I want to help out the amazing water dragon owners, such as yourself so that you can make the most out of having this amazing pet. I hope that you embark on the journey of pet ownership with a lot of confidence. I also wrote a guide on How To Care For Chinese Water Dragons, so if you need more information on that, just click this link. So without further ado, below are some Chinese water dragon facts.

1. Are They Real Dragons?:

One of the main water dragon facts is that many people in the area where Chinese Water Dragons live think that water dragons are real dragons. But of course they are not real dragons, even though they look very similar. It can reach up to a size of 35 inches and its lifespan is about 12 to 20 years. When Chinese water dragons are babies, their size is around 4 to 6 inches so they can be easily kept in a 10-gallon big water tank but as time goes by and they start to grow, you will have to shift them to a bigger aquarium, eventually.

2. Water Always Has To Be Nearby:

Another one of the facts about Chinese water dragons is that they need quite a unique habitat. They usually occupy the land where there is running water or streams. You will often see the water dragons lying on rocks or on trees in the sun.

Those are the places they seem to enjoy the most. If they sense that there is any sort of danger coming their way, they jump into the water and stay underneath it until they feel that they are safe.

3. They Are The "Better" Iguanas:

Yet another one of the eastern water dragon facts include the point that Chinese water dragons are getting more and more popular these days due to their inexpensive price. This affordability factor has gotten a lot of people from all around the globe to import them from China or Indonesia.

Another reason why people prefer getting Chinese dragons is that they do not get as big as iguanas for example, as they grow old. So managing them doesn’t become an inconvenience for their owners. (That does not mean that Iguanas are bad, in fact they are absolutely awesome as well!)

4. Sexing Is Pretty Hard When They Are Babys:

When Chinese water dragons are young, it is hard for a person to distinguish between a male and a female reptile until they are twenty inches long, because they start looking differently then.

Water dragons are able to breed when they generally reach the age of 2 years. That’s when their secondary sexual characteristics start to develop. Most salespersons in pet shops do tell you that they can see if it is a male or a female even if it is still a baby, but most of them just do that to sell. In fact they have no idea. So be careful!

5. Buying More Than One Baby Is Not A Good Idea:

Another one of the Chinese water dragon facts is that you should initially purchase one water dragon if you want to buy a baby. But in that case you should be sure that the shop you purchase your pets from will accurately identify the male and the female dragon from the lot, because as discussed earlier, it’s tough.

Males are very territorial and if you got two male dragons they will most probably fight and that can end bloody.

6. They Just Poop In One Place :

One of the weird facts about water dragons is that they almost always poop into water. Almost like humans I just had to mention this, haha.

7. Female + Female = Good!:

As I said in Fact 5, males are very territorial. However females are very friendly when it comes to other chinese water dragons. So if you are not sure about the gender of your current water dragon, but you want to get a second one right now, just go for a female. They will get along with a female, if your current dragon turns out to be a female and they will also get along with a male.

8. They Do Not Only Eat Insects:

Another one of the facts about Chinese water dragons is that they are more often, than not, carnivorous but at times they eat vegetables too. If you own those cute water dragons you should at least feed them 20% vegetables, herbs and similar food.

In the wild they also eat small mammals when they get the chance.

9. They Are Almost Dog-like:

Most people think that chinese water dragons are skittish. They do move really fast if they want to, however they become tame pretty quickly if you spend some time with your dragon.

If it is tame you can let it out of the cage and see how they climb on everything and explore everything. They also like to chew on everything, it´s really cute. They will also jump right an your hand as soon as you open the cage.

10. They Are Part Of The Chinese Horoscope:

Last but not the least, water dragons are a part of Chinese horoscopes. Unlike the typical horoscope, Chinese horoscope is made up of five elements which are Metal, Water, Wood, Fire and Earth. So there are Metal Dragons, Water Dragons, Wood Dragons, Fire Dragons and Earth Dragons.

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About the Author:

Pierre

Hey! I am Pierre. I own bearded dragons and many other reptiles for a very long time. I know from experience that it can be very hard to find the right information about a specific reptile, since there is so much misinformation out there.That´s why I created this website. To help other people to have the best time with their reptiles.

Further reading :

- Chinese Water Dragons Care, Habitat, Cages, Enclosure, Diet, Tanks, Facts, Set-Up, Food, Pictures, Shedding, Life Span, Breeding, Feeding, Cost All in Paperback – June 28, 2013

by Auric Smith (Author)