Care Sheet for Water DragonsAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 3.50 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 03/07/2005 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Water Dragons |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Jordan_656 |
Years Experience: | Under 1 Year |
Species: | Water Dragons |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | N/A |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Males grow to be about 3 feet long, and Females a little less.
Males Develop larger heads as well as larger jowels than females do. Breeding colors are observed on the chin and also the jowels, in colors: Blue, Pink, Orange, and Yellow.
When the Lizard is stressed, cold or sick It turns a dark brown color, (Usually from stress although you should check for the sickness signs like not eating, better to be safe than sorry!)
When the lizard is getting the proper attention, light, food and etc. Your lizard will be green. Now some dragons Brown is actually part of their color, so if it’s just a little there’s no need to worry. |
Mostly Active During: | Day |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Well i’m no expert on Water Dragons, but my family and I own about 9 Animals all together and 4 are dogs and cats. We have 2 Snakes, 2 Rats, The water dragon (Mine), and the 4 other animals. So with having snakes and all we’re at the pet store at least twice a week. And our very good friend Caroline is very experienced on animals. She does own snakes, birds, water dragons, iguanas, other animals etc. Well that’s besides the point but she does give us the best and most proper tips for care of each of our animals.
Substrate- Well Astroturf is ok, but dosn’t hold moisture very well. I have pellets but that’s because the store in another town didn’t have the proper substrate so it molds. The preferred substrate is like a sand type it’s white. It holds moisture, keeps mites and other harmful animals away as well. Oh and it smells good too! It comes in a blue bag. I’m only 13 and I forgot what it was called, but next time take a look it’s supposed to be the best of the best! |
Lighting and UVB: | Lighting, The most important Thing of the whole setup.
The Lizard needs 3 sources of heat.
1.UVB
2.UVA
3.And A Basking lamp.
The best way to go is to buy a Combo they sell, either in a regular light bulb form or in a Setup were it’s a florescent light.
Now keep in mind that the combo is just UVA and UVB, so you need to buy a: 60 watt, 75 watt, or 100 watt depending on the limits of your actual heat lamp. Also Keep in mind that the heat lamp goes on the opposite side of the under tank heater (If you have one, I do recommend one though.) The water bowl and Food bowl go on the same side as the undertank heater. then the trees and plant go on the same same side as the Heat Lamp Basking light. So it can climb up on the trees and get right under the heat.
My dragons lights go on at 8:00 A.M. and Off at 8:00 P.M. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Temperatures- 84-88 F daytime and 75-80 F at night
You should have 2 Temperature Gages, one on the under tank heater side and the other on the Basking side, so you can measure the hot and cool side. The Humidity should be kept at 75% Minimum, I like it personally in the 80’s so when you get a chance buy a spray bottle from Walmart or wherever and Spray the Dragon and the cage Spray your dragon with Vita Spray. Use a hygrometer to measure humidity. The good is usually in The green (ON HYGROMETERS) (80’s+)
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Heating and Equipment: | Do not use any type of heat rock, because mostly all lizards are too stupid to get off the heat rock and they end up burning themselves. Like I said above use a Heat Lamp with either a 60 watt, 75 watt, or 100 watt, (recommends the 75 watt!) so they can bask. Then you also need a undertank heater. I have my tank setup like this, you should do the same.
Put the substrate in (duh), and put the food, and DEFIANTLY your water bowl, and any other bowls on the Right side of the tank. The right side is were the Undertank heater goes. Then put some trees that are non toxic on the left and make them were there close to the top so the dragon can bask. So put your heat lamp on that side. Then put you UVB and UVA lighting to were it covers a lot of the cage. The UVB and UVA produce D3 which allows the dragon to absorb the calcium.
You need a WATER BOWL, the dragon sits in it. That’s why it’s called a water dragon lol.
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Caging Provided: | I use a Glass Tank, A glass tank is a good way to go even though the dragon will never understand glass. They think they can run through it. So go to your pet store and buy a background and run it in one strip all the way around except the front, You should buy the Tropical forest kind because they think there invisible and blend in, this stops the Nose rub from running into the glass. Mesh is a No-No, Wood with a plexiglass front works too. the background is very inexpensive. The background is cool too, hell my dragon thought he climb on the trees in the background lol. |
Diet: | Omnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Collard and Mustard Greens, Strawberries, Squash, Grapes, and red pepper. This is the Plant Part of its diet. So you need to Grate the Stuff up into a shredded kinda of thing. No Big Chunks. (I use a Salad Grater, Electric) the old fashion grater does just as well too!
Now for the Animal part.
well Any animal you put in the cage needs to be dusted with mineral supplement so the dragon gets its calcium and other minerals too.
-Goldfish
-Mealworms
-Crickets (Just let hop freely in the cage
-Waxworms
-Kingworms
-Butterworms
-Grasshoppers
and When older even Pinkies the Fuzzies
Which are mice by the way.
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Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | Like I said mineral supplement needs to be dusted on any animal that goes in the cage. |
Maintenance: | Everyday, do a visual check to assess general health, clean the water and feed as needed. Remove all dead insects that won’t be eaten and collect all adult crickets left uneaten and alive to reuse at next feeding.
Clean the exterior class once a week, clean the interior of the cage as needed. Everyday, do a visual check to assess general health, clean the water and feed as needed. Remove all dead insects that won’t be eaten and collect all adult crickets left uneaten and alive to reuse at next feeding.
Clean the exterior class once a week, clean the interior of the cage as needed. |
Some Words on this Species: | I love reptiles, and other animals I even had a Bird. But gave it to my grandma because I knew how bad she wanted one. So I had to be a man and step up. |
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