amphibian

Question
QUESTION: does the water dragon suitable as a pet?

ANSWER: Hi Jalice, Water dragons are quite popular as pets. They can be a bit nervous at first but usually become more calm over time. It is always better to get one that has been bred in captivity.  The Asian water dragon (which is green) is the most common one available, there is also an Australian water dragon which is brown. The care is the same for both. The Asian water dragon looks very similar to the green iguana but is smaller. The males have a total length of around 30 inches, about 10 inches of body and 20 inches of tail length. The females are smaller and less dramatic looking. They will require a fairly large cage, at least 4 feet long and 2 or 3 feet high with climbing branches and plants. They require the same heating and lighting as an iguana, a heat light and an ultraviolet light bulb. Humidity is important for them and they should have a water dish that is large enough to sit in. We always used  a small cat litter pan for this purpose. They eat insects and will also eat some fish.  The books say that they will  eat a small amount of vegetables but the ones that I looked after never did that.

This link has several photos of the Asian (green) water dragon

http://www.gotpetsonline.com/pictures/gallery/reptiles/all-by-photo/asian-water-


This is the Australian (Brown) water dragon

http://www.agamainternational.com/pages/waterdragon.html

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

QUESTION: what the bigest size the water dragon can be? do they need special care?

Answer
Hi Jalice, The males are larger with a full grown adult having a body of about 12 inches with another two feet of tail, so three feet long in total  from nose to the end of the tail.
This site is really the best for the care of Asian water dragons. It will describe the temperatures, humidity and ultraviolet lighting  that an Asian water dragon will need in captivity.


http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com/dragoncr.htm