Care Sheet:Water l)ragons

Introdaction
This caaeshe€tis fo. beginaersand ooversthe basic maintenatrceof the EastemWater Dragod @hysignathus
leserary'.You shouldjoin your local heryetologicalsocietJ',whe.eyou cia med othersand obtain more detailed
infoamationon keeping these lizads. Water dragonsare very hardy admats and otre of the best dmgonsfor
beginnersto keepas loDgas a few importantguidelinesare followed. Thesecovercagesize, lighting and diet.
Size
Hatohlings measurearound l5cm io total length. They can grow up to 90cm tong atthough more usuafiy they
rangefiom 60 to ?ocm.
Coging
Juveniles:It tahling Water dragonscan be ke{t in a largeplastictub, approximately60cm long 40 cm wide and
40cm high. The lid ofthe tub should have a light instaltedal one end with th€ othe. halfcut out and reDlac€d
, with insect screen.The tub should be placedoutdoo.sto give the little dragonsac€essto ultt-aviolet lighL It is
very importet not to put them out in the sun dudng lfre middle of rhe day. Glassfish tanks shoold trot be used
for this purposeas tie tempemtureinside the tank will very quickly reach a level that will kill tlle dragons.
Shadeand water must be pmvided ar all timesand the dragonscheckedregularly.
&!q!6: To l.eep adult Water.dragoDsitr captivity a large outdoorerolosure is requited with acaessto sunlight
Outdoor enclosurescan take two forms - convertedaviary style enclos:ures, or the morc g4}ical reptile pits with
walls made of sheetmetal- It is essentialthat the rl'alls ofthe pit ar€ at least I metre high and prefe;bly 1.2
mefues,as Water dragoosare exc€llentjumpeF atrdwill take dvantage of auy rock piles or branohesiaside the
etrclosure{rat are placedtoo near f}re walls. The $alls shouldextendat least30cm undergrourdto prevent the
dragons fiom digging out Altomatively weld meshcatr be sunk beDeaththo ground. If an avirry is used, it is
iEportant to use she€tmetal to a height of orc metle ftom the groundto p.eventthe d€gotrs from rubbing their
snouts on the wir€. Boh q/pes of eoclosurescan be decoratedwilh plads, togs, rock slabs. A pond must be
included to satisErtheir semi-aquaticlifestyle, Someof €rc enclosureshould be sheltered6om the weather.To
keep an adult pair ofwatea dragonsthe eoclosuremust be at least 12 metreslong and preferabtymore than 2
metes, with a widti of one mefre.The floor can be coveredwith bark chips d leaf litter. A pond or at least a
water dish large enoughfor the dmgonsto submergethernselvesis essential.Theremust be at leastone hidiog
place for each dragon in the form of logs, sheetsof bark or pipes.Faecesand uneatenfood must be removed
promPuy.
Lbhting & Eeatine
Water dragos require basklng spots with high tempemtures(up to 45"C) to be kept succ€ssftlly. Your
enclosure must get plenty of sunlight and be shettercd-It must also provide sh.dy spotsftat the dragons can
move to- Baskirg spotscaJrbe createdby iNtalling 100W-150W floodlights at one elrd oftlre enclosure.These
Iizards need tIV light to zurvivq which is wiy they are best kept outdoortin natural sunlight. If they are kept
indooN special UV type fluor€sc€nttubes n@d to be instaled. Bpforo atterBptingsuch a set up you should
disouss the placementof these lights wiflr atr experielced k€eper.Fe€dilg Water dragons are orrnivoious,
Eaking theD quite easyto feed. A suitablediet for adult drago$srrould itrcludetwic€ we€kly feedingofoarmed
pet food and mixe4 choppedAuits and vegetables.They slould atso be fed a vadety of insectssuchas crickets,
cockoaches, meal worms and earth worms. Srnallmice can occasionilly b€ o&r€d but they shouldnot form a
major pafi of the dieL Ooce a week the food should be dus&d with a catciunfuitarnin D powdersdoh as ReF
Cal, and a multi-vitamin powder such as Herptivite. Youtrg dragonsshould be fed wery day with as gre€t a
variety possible.Calcium and vitamin powdersshouldbe usedevery serolrd feedi{g. In general.
'Water of inseotsas
diagons will not acceptpet food, ftuit ard vegetablesuntil they have reacheda total length of about
2ocm. At this stagethesefoodscan be graduallyintroducedirrtotheir diet
-Diseases/Ill essea
These are outside the scope of lhis basic care she€t. Any unusual behaviouror signs of ilhrcss should be
discussed with an experiencedkeeper or with a vet€rinary surgeon.If you susp€ctsomethingis wrong, act
immediateljr, don't leaveit Early diagnosisandAeatnent is importaot.
Fuaher Reading
Weigel, J. (1988) CareofAustraliar Reptitesin Captivity, ReptileKeepersAssociatioq,Austmlia