Chinese Water Dragon (Physignathus Cocincinus) is a big lizard that’s native to Southeast Asia. It is quite common in Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, China.
They can develop fairly spectacular, males as much as 1 meter, although 70 cm falls on the tail. Life expectancy is lengthy, particularly in captivity, as much as 18 years.
Habitat
These reptiles are widespread in Asia, Water Dragons are extra frequent off the banks of rivers and lakes. They are energetic within the daytime and spend a whole lot of time on the branches of timber and bushes. In case of hazard, they bounce from them into the water and submerge.
Moreover, they will spend as much as 25 minutes this manner. They dwell in locations with a humidity of about 40–80% and a temperature of 26–32 ° C.
Appearance
The Chinese Water Dragon is a lovely and weird lizard that could be very in style amongst unique breeders. The wholesome Chinese Water Dragon has a shiny mint inexperienced coloration with white sides and blue or brown stripes alongside the again of the lizard. The throat area is white, peach, or shiny pink. The eyes are highlighted in black as traces that go to the top. Often these stripes have a barely bluish tint. The lizard’s tail is lengthy with numerous patterns introduced within the type of alternating darkish and lightweight stripes.
The measurement of the male Water Dragon can attain 110 centimeters in size with the tail, and the dimensions of females is 60-70 centimeters. Males even have a stronger construct and bigger heads. However, measurement isn’t the one distinction between women and men of Physignathus Cocincinus. The predominant distinguishing characteristic of the Water Dragons males is the pronounced occipital and dorsal-caudal ridges. Crests might also be current in females, however they’re much less noticeable in them. Also, the colour of the throat of males is brighter than that of females. Sharp spines are properly developed alongside the sides of the male cheeks.
Lifestyle
The Water Dragons life-style is semi-arboreal and near-aquatic. They often dwell on branches and trunks of timber, simply shifting alongside them as a result of construction of tenacious fingers and sharp claws. These lizards really feel nice within the water, which permits them to cover from predators. They even have the distinctive capacity to run on the floor of the water. Water Dragons are diurnal. They spend the evening within the timber, eat within the daytime, each in timber and within the water and on the bottom. Lizards spend the most well liked time of the day on the branches and trunks of timber within the speedy neighborhood of the water, the place relative air flow is noticed. Water Dragons adhere to strictly outlined areas of their habitat.
Keeping Chinese Water Dragons
Water Dragons are stored singly, in pairs, or in small teams. In this case, the group should essentially include just one male and two or three females. More than one male can’t be stored as a result of territoriality of those lizards, and a bigger variety of females can result in the aggression of stronger people in relation to a weaker particular person.
Terrarium: these reptiles require a spacious horizontal terrarium. For one particular person, the dimensions of the terrarium must be 200x90x130 cm, and when selecting a terrarium for a gaggle, it’s essential so as to add half of this area for every extra lizard. At the underside of the terrarium, it’s essential to arrange a sufficiently giant and deep reservoir through which the Chinese Water Dragons couldn’t solely swim but in addition dive. Water Dragons are very keen on water, and subsequently your pet will spend a whole lot of time within the water. It is essential to maintain the water as clear as potential. It can be essential to put driftwood with which the lizard can get out of the water, as even Water Dragons can get bored with swimming and drown.
Consider the dimensions of the lizard, because the locations for his or her relaxation above the water must be a minimum of one and a half instances wider than the lizard itself. Design your resting areas in order that they’re no nearer than 30 cm to UVB lamps.
Substrate: The backside of the terrarium might be coated with a daily carpet overlaying it fully, and on prime, place a substrate of a combination of sand and earth near the pure habitat of the lizards. It isn’t really useful so as to add small particles to the substrate that Water Dragons can eat, comparable to walnut shards, wooden chips, or numerous chips, as they will hurt the digestive system of the lizards.
Temperature: The daytime temperature of the lizard must be between 29-32 ° C with a most temperature close to heaters of 35 ° C. The air temperature within the terrarium at evening ought to drop beneath 25 ° C. All heating gadgets have to be positioned in locations inaccessible to animals, and it is usually essential to put in protecting screens for heating gadgets.
Lighting: To set up the lighting of the terrarium with Chinese Water Dragons, you could use highly effective fluorescent lamps and remember to have UV lamps (for instance, Exo-Terra ReptiGlo 5.0), which have to be positioned over the place the place the agamas will spend a whole lot of time. All lights should even be coated with a protecting display, however don’t forget that cup and plexiglass don’t transmit UVB rays important for reptiles. The photoperiod of Chinese Water Dragons must be 12-14 hours. Light bulbs must be changed each 6-8 months.
Maintaining humidity: The humidity degree within the terrarium must be 60-80%. To do that, it’s essential to spray it day by day with heat water, in addition to make sure the presence of the water half and dwelling vegetation.
Diet and Nutrition
The Water Dragon’s food regimen is 70-80% animal meals and 20-30% vegetable. These lizards might be categorised as omnivores as a result of they will eat bugs, invertebrates, and small vertebrates, fish, greens, fruits, leaves, shoots, and flowers of vegetation. As you may see, the assortment could be very large, however not the entire meals listed above are uniquely appropriate for Water Dragons.
As for bugs and invertebrates, it is strongly recommended to incorporate within the food regimen of Physignathus Cocincinus: crickets, cockroaches, mealworms, earthworms, locusts. Small snails, new child mice are additionally appropriate.
The Chinese Water Dragon must be fed a minimum of as soon as each two days and the feed must be assorted. However, don’t overfeed the lizards, in any other case, it could result in weight problems.
