Help-Found American Water Dragon

Question
QUESTION: My son found what appears to be an American Water Dragon in front of a neighbor's house last night (not theirs).  He went all over the neighborhood trying to find the owner, to no avail.  We put it in a plastic terrarium with a shallow dish of water, put the box on a heating pad set on low and bought crickets for it.  It ate a few, but it's very thin and seems inactive to me.  However, I don't know how active they are supposed to be.  We're bird people and my experience with reptiles is limited to the snakes and lizards we used to catch and release as kids.  

We really aren't in a position to spend a lot of money on equipment and I want to find the lizard's owner, but realize that's unlikely.  To be honest I don't want something else to take care of.  We have over 100 birds including rescues and a couple in rehab.  But I don't want to mistreat this poor lizard, either.  Any advice would be appreciated, including how I might find a suitable home for it.

ANSWER: Hello Cathy,

Wow, that is too bad.  Where do you live?  Can you post a picture of it, so I can confirm the species?  I can try to help you find a home for him.  It sounds like someone just dumped him, how sad.  
Yes you have your hands full with ALL of those birds!  LOL
In the meantime, you will need to put a basking light overhead as he needs bright white light for heating.  Do you have a thermometer with a probe on the end to measure the basking temps?  It cannot exceed 90 on the basking temps & the humidity needs to be around 80%.  Be careful using the heating pad as the heating pad & basking light could overheat him.
If you would like, I am a moderator at bearded dragon.org  so I could help find a home for him if you would like to.
If he is thin, he probably has not eaten lately.  Crickets are good for him, & some greens might help him out.

Tracie


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------


Lizard 2   QUESTION: Thank you so much, Tracie!  It looks like we've found a home for him.  I had to pick up a bird from the vet today and asked the tech on duty if she knew anyone who was into reptiles.  It turns out she is, so she is going to take him tomorrow.  She has all the equipment and since she works for a vet who treats exotics he can address any medical problems.  I notice the lizard doesn't or can't open one eye--an infection perhaps?  He didn't eat any more crickets today (had four or five yesterday) but my son saw him eat some of the chopped up grapes and greens I gave him.  Seems more alert today.  I put the carrier on our patio table this afternoon so he would get some filtered sun and he seemed to like that.  It was about 80 outside.  We're in San Jose, CA.  

-Cathy

Answer
Hello Cathy,

Yes, that is a Chinese Water dragon that needs care!  :-))
Oh wonderful that the tech is going to take him.  How nice.  Maybe she will take him in for blood work or a fecal.  Yes, he may have an eye infection either from a possible injury from something he came across outside, or improper care previously.  Good that he ate a few chopped up grapes.  At least he was more alert today.  
The sunlight was great for him I am sure he enjoyed that.  Well, I am so happy that he has now found a home.  At least you were in California to where it doesn't get terribly cold most of the times.

Tracie