Water Dragons-
Water Dragons are becoming a very popular pet for people to have. There are different species of water dragons for example, the Australian Water Dragon (also known as Physignathus Lesueunii) and the Chinese Water Dragon (also known as Physignathus Temporalis). Hatchlings are a total length of 5-6 inches long; they are often a brownish green colour on their upper body and a pale green on their lower body. Adults can range from 2-3 feet long and are of a similar colour.
Don’t be fooled by their name, most Water Dragons love water, but not all. You should provide a fairly large area of water for the Dragon to bathe in, which must be changed and cleaned daily. A simple container would be suitable for this but so the Dragon can step easily in and out of it. The water doesn’t have to be heated, room temperature is fine. You can use a filter if needed to help keep the water cleaner for longer.
Keeping the Dragons in a heated cage can be very harmful; they should always be kepy at approx 90 degrees, since they are from a tropical humid climate.
You need to be careful of what substrate you use in your dragons cage. Soil and Orchid bark are quite popular but you have to be aware of your dragon ingesting any of this as it can be quite serious! Astroturf can also be used but you would need to melt or bind the edges so that it doesn’t fray, as this can be harmful if ingested also. Any commercial brands sold in pet stores that contain moss or fertilisers have known to be quite fatal if consumed by your Dragon. I suggest that you don’t use Cedar or Pine as they give off toxic fumes which could hurt your Dragons health.
Another thing you will need is a UVB heat source lamp that the dragon can bask under if you cannot provide natural sunlight at all times. The light should be set up so the dragon is no more than 10 inches away from it during basking otherwise the light source will decrease the further away the dragon is from it.
If you require anymore information please contact us at Appleton Exotics petshop.
