Bare minimum equipment needed:
*100 gallon tank or larger, or equivalent-sized or larger reptile cage (for one lizard), or large custom or commercial cage such as for an iguana for 2 or more lizards. An enclosure for a water dragon should have both height and floor space, as these lizards spend considerable time in trees, on the ground, and in the water.
*Metal screen or mesh top for tank or cage (may be built in to some reptile cages). Should not be plastic, if you plan to use an overhead heat lamp.
*A radiant heat source. Either an overhead heat lamp, or an undertank heater. This should be small enough to cover no more than half the cage. Hot rocks are not recommended and can be dangerous.
*A full-spectrum flourescent reptile lamp is required for this species, as well. Get a hood that will sit on your screen top.
*If you have selected an overhead heat lamp, an appropriate bulb for the lamp, such as a reptile daylight bulb. You may also use one of the new mercury-vapor reptile lights which provides both heat and UVB, for use in very large reptile cages. If you use this lamp, be sure you have a ceramic fixture designed for it, and you may do away with the seperate UVB flourescent lamp.
*A very large basin for water--a plastic cat litter pan works well, as it will need to be cleaned and changed every day. Be sure that the lizard will be able to easily climb in and out. It should be deep enough for the lizard to submerge itself.
*A shallow dish for small food items, such as mealworms.
*A substrate. You can use a forest bedding, or a coconut-fiber based reptile bedding. Plain potting soil is also safe, but very messy--be sure it does not contain vermiculite, perlite, or fertilizers. Do not use sand, aquarium gravel, or beddings that mold if exposed to moisture, or that pose a hazard if accidently ingested. The dragon will enthusiastically dig, and will splash water everywhere, so mold resistance is a priority.
*Two temperature gauges (thermometer).
*One humidity gauge (hygrometer).
*Climbing branches of various widths, stout enough for the dragon to lounge on.
*Calcium/mineral supplement powder
*Vitamin supplement powder (vitamins and minerals can interfere with one another's absorption, so all in ones are not the best choice).
*Small container for keeping crickets or mealworms.
Optional equipment:
*Plastic and/or live nontoxic plants (pothos in a pot works well). Your dragon may eat the plants, or dig them up, so be prepared to replace them if you use live plants, and be particularly certain they are non-toxic.
*A large hide box, hollow log, or barrier--this should be used if thick cover is not available in the enclosure. It is probably wise to provide this for basilisks and sailfin dragons either way.
*Cricket/mealworm gutloading formula.
*Backdrop for cage, if using aquarium.
*Cricket cave (allows you to dust crickets, place cave in cage, and remove plug to release crickets one at a time).
*Feeding tongs--hand feed your reptiles without getting nipped.
*Book on Green water dragon care (necessary if you plan to breed them, a good idea even if you aren't).
*A timer for your lighting and heating.
*Thermostat and/or rheostat for controlling heating devices.
Setting up the enclosure:
Rinse out the cage with very hot water, and dry it. Place the substrate in the bottom, and dampen it, if necessary (some come pre-moistened). If you are using a glass tank, or a cage with clear glass or acrylic on a lower part, you will need to cover part of the glass. Green water dragons do not understand glass, and cannot see it--they will attempt to repeatedly walk through it, eventually seriously damaging their face, and even completely rubbing away their snout and jaws. Covering the transparent areas with paper (at least the lower half of a glass tank) prevents this terrible damage. You should also observe your dragons carefully to be sure they do not rub their faces on the mesh or wire of a cage if it is not glass. Place the water dish in a corner or on one end. Place food dish, climbing branches, and other decorations as you please. Be certain that at least one sturdy branch will allow the lizard to sit within 4 or 5 inches of the UVB lamp. Stick one thermometer about mid level on the side of the cage away from the heat, on the inside of the cage so that you can read it. Stick the other thermometer on the opposite side of the cage, at the level of the highest branch that the lizard might climb to (if using overhead heat). Place the humidity gauge down low in about the middle of the cage. If you are using an undertank heater, place this beneath one side of the tank, as far to that side as possible. If you are using an overhead heat source, screw in the bulb, and place the lamp on top of the screen on the side with the higher thermometer, as far to that side as possible (take care not to overlap plastic tank edges), so that it is pointing down into the tank.
Turn on the lamp, and leave the tank for about an hour. Come back, and read the temperature gauges. The warmest area of the cage should be 85 to 90 degrees. The cool side should be no more than 80 degrees. If the warm side of the cage is cooler than this, you will need to either add another heat source (if using an undertank heater), or use a higher wattage bulb in your overhead lamp. If the cage is warmer than this, you will need a thermostat or rheostat for your undertank heater, to lower the temperature, or use a lower wattage bulb in your overhead light. It is important to set this up before putting your dragon into the enclosure, and preferably before bringing it home. A thermostat and rheostat is a good idea for regulating either of these devices, particularly if your indoor temperatures are subject to changes. You may need additional lamps for very large cages. If your cage is mesh, and the interior temperature will not adjust, you may have to raise the temperature of the entire room to provide a proper environment.
Most reptiles, including green water dragons, do best with a night time temperature drop. If your room stays at about 75 degrees Farenheit, you can simply turn off the heating elements at night, or when you are done viewing your animals. If it drops too much lower (below 70), you may need to leave a heating source on overnight. Check your night time temperatures, and try to arrange it so that they fall 5 to 10 degrees at night. Try to provide your dragon with very regular day and night schedules (a timer comes in handy). 12 hours of each is good. The humidity level in your dragon's tank should be kept at around 60% to 70%. Mist the tank if the humidity drops below 60%.
Due to the size of these lizards, another option is available for their housing. You may choose to allow them to freely roam in one room of your house. Covering the floor with plastic sheet (if it is not linoleum or tile), and a layer of newspaper, will make cleanup easier. A child's plastic wading pool serves as a nice pond, and large tree trunks and branches can be leaned against the walls (and secured to them) to provide climbing space. Be sure that everything is firmly secured, so that dragons cannot knock it over, or they may be injured or killed if something heavy falls on them. If the branches are not placed over the water pool, and the floor is hard, some sort of cushioning material should be put under them...a dragon plunging to a hard floor from a high branch could be seriously injured. Secure lights and heat lamps CAREFULLY as well. Heat lamps must be out of reach of the lizards, so they do not attempt to climb on them. Flourescent lamps, since they must be closer to the animals, should be very securely attached to the ceiling. The mercury vapor lamps are an excellent choice for this type of setup, as they can be secured further away from the animals and still provide UVB in ample quantity (as well as heat). Halogen lights are also a possibility for free-range room-sized setups. Dragons do extraordinarily well in a free-range setup, face-rubbing is not a problem, and the tail problems don't seem to develop in those conditions either.
Purchase crickets, superworms, nightcrawlers, wax worms, butterworms, feeder roaches, or mealworms to feed your dragon. A wide variety of insects is best. Do not feed excessive quantities of waxworms. Take care that the nightcrawlers you purchase were not raised in manure, and are a low risk for parasite transmission. Larger dragons may also be given appropriately sized mice--pre-killed or frozen/thawed only. They may also appreciate fish, but do not offer goldfish, as these are likely to transmit parasites and contain an enzyme that destroys a B vitamin (thiaminase). Tilapia are a good choice, and fish can also be cut into strips for dragons that will accept non-moving prey items. Green water dragons are omnivorous. The other half of their diet should be comprised of nutritious mixed green leafy vegetables, a few other vegetables, and a small amount of fruit. A salad recipe used for iguanas is ideal. Dragons also enjoy colorful edible flowers. Baby dragons will most likely not eat vegetables, but as the dragon grows older, it will eventually begin to eat more greens, until they make up 50% or more of its diet.
Some appropriate vegetables for water dragons include escarole, dandelion greens, mustard greens, collard greens, grated carrot, grated sweet potato, grated parsnip, green beans, and grated squash. Berries, cantalope, kiwi, figs, and mango are good choices of fruits. Edible flowers include dandelion flowers, nasturtiums, and rose petals. Avoid all forms of lettuce, spinich, broccoli, and cabbage. Lettuce has little nutritional value, spinich, cabbage, and other brassicas contain chemicals that can destroy necessary nutrients and cause deficiency diseases in reptiles. Make sure that all vegetables and fruits are thoroughly washed to remove pesticides, and cut into 1 inch pieces (for adult dragons) or coarsely grate for younger dragons. Calcium supplement powder can be lightly sprinkled over the salad (use a selection of 3 or 4 different items for each salad, and rotate the varieties used). Some individual water dragons can be picky about the vegetables or fruits they will accept--a few will not eat them at all! Don't be too alarmed by this. A balanced omnivorous diet is preferable, but if your fully adult dragon will not eat greens, just be sure to provide a wide variety of nutritious insects, and supplement well.
Place your crickets, superworms, or mealworms in a seperate escape-proof cage. A plastic "critter keeper" works well. You should feed crickets, superworms, or mealworms for 48 hours before giving them to your lizard. Ask your pet store what, if anything, they feed their crickets. If they use a cricket gutloading formula, you will not need to wait. Most stores house mealworms in refridgerators, where they are dormant, so these will always need to be fed. Feeding insects nutritious food before giving them to your reptile is called "gut loading". A reptile eats not only the insect, but the contents of its gut as well. An empty insect is much less nutritious than one full of good food. Provide a piece of fruit or commercial cricket drink for water, and nutritous food--either a gut loading formula or fruits and vegetables to feed them. Wash these thoroughly first to get rid of pesticide residues.
Crickets and mealworms are very low in calcium, one of their drawbacks. As a result, even if you use a gutloading formula that contains calcium (which substantially increases their calcium content, but may kill your crickets if used for more than a couple of days), you will need to dust them in order to balance out their mineral content. Every other feeding, place the crickets in a small baggie with a bit of mineral powder, and shake until they are coated, just before you feed them to your lizard. Once a week, use a vitamin powder instead. The difference these supplements have made in reptile husbandry cannot be overstated....they will allow your pet to have a healthy, long lifespan. Baby water dragons will eat only mealworms and 1/2 inch crickets, wax worms, and butterworms. An adult green water dragon will consume about 5 to 15 large crickets or superworms, 1 mouse, 3 to 6 earthworms, or 3 or 4 thin strips of tilapia, per feeding, and they should be offered insects or meat every other day. Greens should be offered daily. Babies should be offered animal food every day, and it is probably not necessary to offer greens to very young dragons, as it is almost unheard of for hatchlings to eat it. Offer crickets one at a time, until the lizard refuses further food...remove the last cricket or superworm. Never leave food insects inside the cage, as they may nibble toes and tails. Crickets are particularly known for injuring sleeping reptiles, particularly if they have no other food sources. A reptile will not kill a pesky insect in self-defense.
The water pan should be changed and scrubbed daily. Water dragons virtually ALWAYS defecate in the water. This keeps the rest of the cage clean, but means that prompt attention to daily water changes is very necessary. If using a larger pond, a powerful filter, and a suction device for spot removal of droppings can be used to cut back on full water changes.
About Green Water Dragons (Physignathus cocincinus):
These lizards are good intermediate reptile pets. They can come to tolerate a fair amount of handling, but tend to be more standoffish than bearded dragons or some iguanas, and not quite as intelligent. They can learn to look to a person for food, but usually prefer not to be handled, even when quite tame. Their personalities make up for any of their drawbacks--they are alert, and have a lot of attitude. Captive bred animals tend to live longer than wild caught animals. They usually reach near adult size in about 2 to 3 years (so feed your babies plenty, they grow very fast). Some green water dragons available are wild-caught, and most wild-caught animals are older juveniles or adults. This means they may carry internal parasites, so have a veterinarian do a fecal check after you have them settled in, and quarantine and test any new animals before adding them to an existing group (always a good idea, even with captive bred animals). Green water dragons are usually a bright green in color. Females tend to be more drab than males. A male water dragon in display colors is truly a beautiful sight, with bright green body, shades of pink, turquoise, and white around its jaws, and an orange throat and patches behind its front legs. A very dark olive dragon with almost black patches on the sides of its head is exhibiting coloration related to stress. If your dragon shows this coloration for a long time, and it has not been subjected to any obvious stress such as handling or cage cleaning, it may be ill, and should be seen by a veterinarian. An adult male water dragon can be a formidable size, reaching as much as 3 feet or more in total length. Females tend to be a bit smaller, around 2 feet long. Their tail can be fully as long as their body.
Green water dragons can come to tolerate regular handling, though they often remain nervous and somewhat flighty. Take care, because they can quickly leap out of your hands and run underneath furniture. Dragons may also bite, and they have very formidable jaws. If your lizard opens its mouth in a gape, this is a warning that it may bite. Teach them to trust you slowly and gently, if you wish to handle them. Most will calm down and not be inclined to bite. However, you should handle your green water dragon only for fairly short periods, to avoid stressing them. They may try to escape your grasp, and can be very wiggly...a long fall could injure them, so be very careful when you are carrying them. Their sharp claws can deliver stinging scratches, but should not be clipped as they need them to climb safely. Water dragons may plunge recklessly off any perch they are on when they are alarmed or startled, so take care that there are no sticks pointing upward, or other things they might injure themselves on when they fall from a height. They will often aim for their water when they make these jumps. They can run lightning fast. Reptiles, unlike mammals or birds, do not usually appreciate affection, and they are not social. Tolerance is the best you can expect from any reptile or amphibian. If you are lucky, they will enjoy your body heat, and come to expect food from you. The fun of these animals comes from observing their natural behavior and appearance. In that respect, keeping reptiles and amphibians is much like keeping fish.
Green water dragons do not have detachable tails, so take care when handling them that their tail is not broken. Their tail will not grow back. A broken tail should be treated. For think tail tips, careful and regular cleaning and application of antibiotic ointment or betadine solution will often do. Any sign of failure to heal, swelling, or extension of the damaged area means a veterinarian is needed. If the tail is broken further up, away from the tip, then a veterinarian should be seen promptly. Captive dragons are prone to a peculiar "tail rot" problem, where the tip of the tail turns black and falls off. The condition can continue, consuming more and more of the tail. This progressive problem should be treated by a veterinarian, who will amputate the tail above the affected area. Sterilizing the cage and environment is a reasonable step to take before placing a treated animal back in its home. It is not yet known what specifically causes this condition. Males water dragons are easy to tell apart from females once the dragons are near adulthood--their jaws are larger and heavier, their colors are much brighter, and they have a large raised area of flesh along the back of the head and neck, with longer spines on it.. A displaying male will stand up tall, expand its throat, and bob its head. Females will often bob their head and expand their throat as well, but usually maintain a lower profile than males. As with most reptiles, never keep more than one male in an enclosure--males will fight one another. You may keep one male with several females, but observe carefully for negative interactions--chasing, nipping, or harrassing. If you see one animal being chased excessively, or any are not able or willing to eat well, then they should be seperated.
To maintain them in the long term, have your water dragon checked by a veterinarian once a year for parasites or other health problems. If you notice your dragon behaving abnormally, particularly if it stops eating, or seems less active than usual, seek medical care for it immediately. Reptiles do not usually show illness until they are seriously ill. Water dragons can be somewhat fragile if they become ill, so quick treatment can make all the difference. The most common medical issues water dragons face in captivity are parasites, infections due to injuries (particularly of the face, tail, and toes), and MBD (metabolic bone disease, which can be prevented by use of UVB lighting and calcium supplements).
With the proper care, your water dragon should thrive problem free for its full lifespan.
A few notes on the other species which share these basic care requirements: Aside from the need for a bit more space and cover, some of these species have slight dietary differences as well. Sailfin lizards will probably eat greens earlier than water dragons, and the adult diet is the same--about 50/50 plant and animal matter. Basilisks eat a bit less vegetable matter than water dragons or sailfin lizards, but should still be provided with mixed greens regularly. Green basilisks may be subject to deterioration of their crests in a captive situation, similar to the tail rot problem in water dragons. This problem should be treated similarly, with veterinary care and sterilization of the environment. As with the tail-rot, the cause is not yet known.
© Eclipse Exotics, 2005. Distribute, copy, print, and pass on as you wish. :)