Common Name: Chinese Water Dragon

Scientific Name: Physignathus cocincinus

Food: crickets, mealworms, fruit, and a vitamin dusting powder.

Distribution: Thailand, Southern China, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Habitat: Tropical rain forests

Color Discription: green with vertical stripes of a contrasting green color, and have colorful throats, ranging from pink or peach to brighter shades of orange

Physical Discription: Chinese Water Dragon has a triangular shaped heads and a "third eye" a small shiny spot between the eyes, which Water Dragons use to thermoregulate and sense light. The hind legs are more muscular than the slim front legs. Water Dragons has five toes! with sharp claws and the middle toe is the longest toe.

Size: Male reach 36" while the females reach 24"

Temperatures/Humidity: 75º F for the daytime temp. The basking area should be 85º F. Cooler at night in the lower 70's. The Humidity needs to be 75% and above.

Breeding/Reproduction: Chinese Water Dragons are easy to breed and this should be attempted only when the throats have reached their final bright color, indicating sexual maturity. Be sure the female is given a place to hide from the male, as he may become aggressive during the mating season. The female Chinese Water Dragon will always lay eggs in her eight-inch deep, soil-filled egg box, but be sure that if the eggs have been fertilized to remove and incubate them. Generally, eggs require two months to hatch and before laying the Water Dragon may lose her appetite. Hatchlings are generally 5" - 6 " long, with 4" - 5" of this comprised of their tails alone.

Cage Setup: potting soil mixed with dirt with leaf litter, plenty of branchs for climbing and perching on.

Water: A pan that is deep enough to soak in, and high humidity.

Special Needs: Chinese Water Dragons need a humid enclosure about four feet by two feet by two feet. Provide them with a water bath for drinking and bathing. Chinese Water Dragons also need plants and branches to climb on.