Water dragon care

[Rebecca]

Just wondering how handable are c. water dragons?? Also what substrate is best for them?? The encloser I would use is 2ft by 4ft. I can although build a bigger one later on. Any tips or anything?? Also is 50 alot to pay for one??

New part ----> What would you guys say the best natural looking substrate would be?? I was actually thinking of building an enclosure that was tall so it could climb and the the bottem grass (actual lawn grass) and a pool. What do you think?? But for right now untill I get that done what would look best and more important what's best for WDs??

[LISA127]

i think 2 ft. x 4 ft. would be a good size. water dragons can become quite tame, actually. i believe they make great pets in that regard. as for substrate, u need something that holds humidity. i don't know how much water dragons would run near you. anyway, you should do a search for good websites on water dragon care.

[Invictus]

We have chinese water dragons at the store I work at, and they are totally sweet lizards. Very tame, and very handleable. A little skittish when you first reach for them though. :)

They are diurnal lizards, so you'll need UVA/UVB lighting. There is a lot of debate as to whether or not diurnal lizards actually need full spectrum lighting, but I say err on the side of caution.

Males get to be around 3 feet, and they are quite active, so I'd recommend a 6 foot enclosure. For substrate, bark works well. Make sure they always have a water dish that is big enough for them to get their whole body into.

[Rebecca]

So the repti bark stuff would work fine then right?? I can alwas build another bigger cage so I'm not worried about size and that.

[V.hb]

Repti-Bark is crap. Go with some sort of fibre, like Coconut fibre, or even regular soil. Cypress mulch is great too.

I find repti-bark incredibly dusty, and is more of an annoyance to the reptile than anything else. Keep in mind, while they can reach 3 feet it us mostly tail, up to 70%! But never deprive them of space as they do move quite frequently. Good luck with your new pet.

[dragonden]

No, please don't go with coconut fibre. The particles are very abrassive and I keep hearing about water dragons with eye infections from owners who use substrates with coconut fibre as a base. I think it must scratch their eyes, which then leads to infection. I recommend a sterile soil (bake it!) substrate or a form of repti carpet.

Feel free to check out my Water dragon care page:

Tricia's Chinese Water Dragon, Reptile and Amphibian Care page at:

http://www.icomm.ca/dragon/

Tricia