chinese water dragons
Chinese Water Dragons
Found in lush tropical forests, always close to a source of water, the Chinese water dragon is arboreal in nature and needs a lot of space. It is capable of camouflaging perfectly well with its surroundings and can change its shades from green to brown within no time at all.
- Enclosure - This reptile needs a big enclosure. The smallest-sized enclosure you can get for an adult is one that is 6 feet in length, 3 feet in depth, and about 6 feet in height. Remember that it will have to be custom-made and is going to be expensive. Until and unless you find out what your dragon's gender is, it would be better to keep only one. A male and a female will generally get along, but two females or two males will always display aggression unless they are given a lot of space.
- Furnishing the Enclosure - For safety purpose, choose furnishings that won't cause any damage if ingested. Potting soils should be sterilized and covered with sphagnum moss, which is good for humidity. A good mix of soil, peat, sand, cypress mulch, paper, and Astroturf is also good. Lots of branches should be put in for climbing purposes. Plants like hibiscus, pothos, staghorn ferns, dracena, and ficus also make good additions.
- Water and Humidity - This animal needs a lot of water. The water source should be deep and large, so that the dragon can comfortably submerge itself in it. Clean the water on a daily basis. Humidity should be kept at around 80 percent and the enclosure needs to be misted at least once or twice daily. Live potted plants will help with the humidity.
- Lighting and Heat - Ideally, daytime temperature should be kept somewhere between 84 - 88 degrees F, with a spot for basking at 90 degrees F. The night temperatures should be dropped to 75 - 80 degrees F. A combination of a ceramic heat element, basking light, under tank heat tape, and heat pads should be used. A UVA/UVB fluorescent lighting fixture can also be used.