Care Sheet for Water DragonsAverage Rating Given To This Care Sheet Is 3.50 (1=lowest, 5=highest) Last Updated: 04/15/2005 |
Main Category: | Lizards |
Sub Category: | Water Dragons |
Care Sheet Submitted By: | Dee man |
Years Experience: | 1 to 2 Years |
Species: | Chinese Water Dragon |
Other Species or Phases this Care Sheet May Cover: | Green or brown Basilisk |
Sexing and Characteristics: | Males develop larger jowels and crests into adulthood whereas females appear to be much smaller. You will notice the presence of femoral pores on adult males which by the way can reach 3 ft. in total length. Females about a foot smaller. Males will have much more of a color variation as they progress into juveniles, then adults |
Mostly Active During: | Day |
Substrate and Water Needs: | Best substrate is actually the astroturf, but buy one thats designed for lizards because they can ingest pieces of some of the cheaper types. They come in several colors and can be ordered online to suit your preferences |
Lighting and UVB: | UVA basking heat lamps. I use two 150 watt but I set them higher as to not burn my herp. I also have two 18-inch strip ultraviolet sunlights placed over indeed another basking area. He spends most of his time under the sunlight than basking, but the heat source is great anyway, quite warm. I switch to blacklight UVA for night time undisturbed sleeping, with incredible heat power there as well with two 150-watts going again for ample heat. My apartment gets a little chilly in the mornings sometimes, especially in the winter. |
Temperatures and Humidity: | Perfect daytime temperatures range from 82-89 degrees fahrenheit and 75-79 degrees at night, with humidity ranging from 60% which is easy to attain to 85% which is ideal maybe even too perfect, depending on the time of day and also sometimes hard to achieve |
Heating and Equipment: | Two-150 watt basking bulbs-daytime
Two-150 watt moon simulating blacklight lamps-strictly for heat
Two-18 inch strip lights with non-incandescent bulbs (UVB) for D3 and other nutrients |
Caging Provided: | 75 Gallon long. Probably not the best type but it still accommodates him well right now. Water Dragons love to climb. Its also better to have a deeper cage for tail swinging as well. |
Diet: | Omnivorous |
Description of Diet: | Water Dragons are actually insectivores and carnivores. They also do consume plant matter but not very young , usually and it is not as necessary until adulthood. I feed a pinkie every week and mealworms and dusted crickets every two or three days, that suitable enough , but they do like variety as they mature |
Supplements, Nutrition and Usage: | Sprinkle Calcium/No Phosphorus Carnivorous type powder on all live food whenever you feed. Use Vita Spray on the lizard directly at least once a day and also mist the tank frequently if you don’t have a misting fogger or humidifier, you may like to use vitamin supplements other than just calcium on the food as well. |
Maintenance: | Always check your Dragon every morning when you awake and anytime you can really to make sure if he defecated in his water. Change this water immediately, dragons hate dirty water, but love very clean water. |
Some Words on this Species: | The only other lizard I would house with a Water Dragon would be a green basilisk, other wise a comfortable territorial lizard may bite another herps legs off. They are known to take other lizards and even small birds in the wild when full grown |
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