The Chinese water dragon is one of the many lizards that is known by different names.This reptile is also called a Thai water dragon, an Australian water dragon, as well as an Asian water dragon. The scientific name of the Chinese water dragon is Physignathus cocincinus.The Physignathus cocincinus is one of the many species of lizards that are known to be native to the tropical climates of Southeast Asia.How do you make a Chinese water dragon habitat?The Chinese water dragon is one of the safest lizards a person can have as a pet. However, in order to keep one as a pet, it is important to know how to replicate its habitat.In order to keep a Chinese water dragon as a pet, an owner must have a dragon enclosure. A Chinese dragon enclosure should be at least 6 ft (1.8 m) long. This allows the pet to grow fully into its full size inside its cage. A dragon enclosure must also be 2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m) deep and 5-6 ft (1.5-1.8 m) tall, in order to house a water dragon in the tank. The owner must remember that a tank that is this size must be custom-made. A Chinese water dragon tank is expensive and it is recommended that a professional builds it.Even though having a single Chinese water dragon is possible, it is recommended that an owner has another water dragon of the opposite sex in order to give them company inside the terrarium. Owners can even get two pairs of males and females but this would require a much larger tank. The tank must be large enough for all the water dragons to have plenty of space for themselves.Place sterilized potting soil inside the tank as this substrate is not harmful if a Chinese water dragon accidentally ingests it inside the cage. There are no adverse health effects. Climbing is an important daily activity for a Chinese water dragon, so plenty of plants and branches must be provided in the enclosure for climbing. These plants and branches also provide a basking area inside the terrarium.Live plants are recommended. Live plants make a terrarium look good and some examples of the live plants that can be included are pothos, hibiscus, ficus, and staghorn. Artificial plants also do the job! In case branches are not available to be placed inside the terrarium, large rocks can be placed near the basking light.Humidity levels in the terrarium are extremely important to this animal. In order to maintain humidity levels in the terrarium, a certain water level must be maintained, so that this lizard is able to submerge at least half of its body inside the water in the tank. Use the substrate to create a small beach inside the terrarium, and the other half for the water. An owner must replace the water daily in order to maintain humidity levels. It is recommended that the humidity inside the terrarium should be kept at 80%. In order to correctly measure the humidity in the tank, a digital hydrometer should be used. A digital hydrometer correctly measures the humidity and makes sure the temperature in the enclosure is ideal for this reptile.The heat that the lizard is provided inside the enclosure is as equally important as the humidity. The ideal temperature for this lizard during the day lies between 80-88 F (27-31 C). The temperature should be lowered to 75-80 F (23.8-26.6 C) at night. It is important to measure the temperature on both the warm and cold sides of the enclosure. There must be a temperature gradient between the two sides.Another thing that is important for this lizard is UVB light. Similar to other reptiles, the Chinese water dragon requires UVB light in order to maintain its health. UVB light allows a Chinese water dragon to gain an invisible wavelength that comes from sunlight. UVB light allows water dragons to receive these important wavelengths. Additionally, these wavelengths are extremely vital to the health of a water dragon as, without them, a water dragon can become lazy. This may result in metabolic bone disease in a Chinese water dragon. A Chinese water dragon requires at minimum 10-12 hours of UVB light exposure in order to stay healthy. Secondly, there should be a heat lamp in the tank in order to replicate the native habitat of a Chinese water dragon.There are many environmental conditions that must be replicated so that Chinese water dragons are able to live in an enclosure. However, it is also important that an owner is feeding these reptiles the correct food. Water dragons can eat insects such as crickets, butter worms, mealworms, earthworms, grasshoppers, and waxworms. These insects must be fed every two to four weeks. Additionally, it is important to not feed Chinese water dragons wild insects since they may contain pesticides.Where do Chinese water dragons live?The Chinese water dragon is one of the many names that is given to this reptile. This creature is also called the Asian water dragon. Chinese water dragons live in the regions of Asia and Australia. These places provide the ideal temperature and humidity levels for these dragons. These regions are perfect for these dragons.In these places, this reptile lives in locations that are located near water bodies. It is important that a Chinese water dragon’s habitat has areas that can be used as basking areas. These water bodies for a water dragon include creeks, rivers, as well as lakes. Basking areas typically have hanging overhead branches in order for a Chinese water dragon to be able to bask in the sunlight.There are certain conditions and temperatures that need to be met in order for the natural habitat to be perfectly suitable. Some of the most popular places where these water dragons live are rainforests and other temperate areas. These places have the perfect temperatures and humidity levels that this reptile species is suited to. In these areas, Chinese water dragons live in alpine streams. Nevertheless, these reptiles do not always live in the wild where the humidity is appropriate. They can survive very well in urban areas if they find the right amount of water and if other environmental conditions are met, such as temperature.The way that a Chinese water dragon behaves in its natural environment largely depends on the weather. Over time, when the weather is cooler, the activity patterns of this reptile change as well. Spring and summer are when a Chinese water dragon is most active. During these seasons, the majority of physical activity takes place. This begins with basking in the sunlight, as well as foraging for food.These reptiles also spend time swimming in the water to cool themselves off. Their behavior in the colder months is the opposite. Since these animals are cold-blooded, they are not able to provide heat for themselves. In order to cope with the cold, these water dragons live in burrows that they create and pack themselves with dirt in order to preserve warmth and maintain body temperature. At this stage, the metabolism of Chinese water dragons enters into a form of hibernation known as brumation.In order to live suitably in their habitat, Chinese water dragons have undergone some body adaptations. One of these adaptations is the ability to camouflage themselves within their environment. Water dragons in Australia are able to blend in with the grass as well as fallen leaves. This makes them difficult to observe as this reptile species blends well with their natural environment.Also, there is a higher chance of hearing one of these reptiles fleeing than spotting one as they scurry away quickly or flee to the water. Their ability to camouflage is also used to hide from their natural predators. Some of these predators include small mammals, birds, as well as snakes. These reptiles are also preyed on by dogs in urban areas.Do Chinese water dragons like to be held?Holding pets is one of the biggest parts of having pets. Do Chinese water dragons like to be held?The Chinese water dragon is one of the friendliest lizards in the world. It is even more friendly than the iguana. In fact, without regularly handling a water dragon, it could become aggressive. If a Chinese water dragon appears scared when it is touched, this is one of the signs that this creature is aggressive. It may start lashing out by whipping its tail or biting. The bottom line is that Chinese water dragons do like to be held and handled.Do water dragons like to swim?A Chinese water dragon spends part of its life in the water, so it is natural to wonder if this water dragon likes to swim?The answer to that question is yes, these lizards do like swimming. These lizards are semi-aquatic animals and spend part of their lives in the water. By swimming in the water, these lizards are able to deal with higher temperatures and cool their bodies off. While they do enjoy the heat when climbing onto basking areas, these temperatures may become too hot to handle and swimming in the water might be a way these reptiles like to cool off.Did You Know…The diet of Chinese water dragons is interesting as they are one of the few reptiles that are omnivorous. Their diet consists of insects such as spiders, ants, crickets, and caterpillars. Insects remain the main part of their diet when they are smaller in size. As they transition into adult Chinese water dragons, they begin eating different types of food. Their diet changes as they grow larger in size.When a water dragon becomes an adult, the food that is part of its diet includes smaller rodents such as baby mice, birds, fish, invertebrates, and eggs. This reptile also occasionally eats vegetation and plants. A Chinese water dragon’s body has features such as pointy teeth as well as a sticky tongue. These features allow this reptile to catch and hold on to its prey.Adult Chinese water dragon males reach full maturity when they are five years of age. Chinese water dragon females reach full maturity and are able to lay eggs when they are four years of age. The females go on to produce about two clutches of eggs every year. The mating period of water dragons usually takes place in the warmer part of the year, during the spring and summer months.Two males who wish to mate with the same female may fight it out. Only the male Chinese water dragon that is victorious will go on to mate with the female. The males will court the females through acts that display their physical prowess. The females then lay their clutches of eggs in burrows after a gestation period of about 60-75 days.A Chinese water dragon at birth is fully independent and this animal has an average lifespan of about 15-20 years.
The Chinese water dragon is one of the many lizards that is known by different names.
