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INFORMATION AND CAPTIVE CARE SHEET AUTHOR: JUSTIN BROADBENT MAY 2002

ABOUT WATER DRAGONS
Water Dragons are Australia's largest Agamid (Dragon) Lizard. Males can attain a length of up to 100cm, however about 80% of this length is tail. The water dragon is scientifically known as Physignathus lesueurii. Two subspecies are recognised by most herpetologists. These are the Eastern Water Dragon P.l.lesueurii and the Gippsland Water Dragon P.l.howittii. The only real difference is colour and geographic location. Eastern Water Dragons tend to be olive green to grey above with black or black and white cross-bands along the body. These may be highly visible or very dull. A black band extends horizontally from the eye to the throat. Combinations of red, yellow and aqua can also be seen on the head. Males get a very red underside that gets brighter as the lizards reach maturity. On the other hand, Gippsland Water Dragons tend to be olive green to aqua blue all over with bright or dull black cross-bands. The males have wonderfully colourful throats normally striped with green, yellow and blue. The black stripe from the eye to the throat is absent in Gippsland Water Dragons. The tail of both sub-species is strongly banded.

Water dragons are mainly a coastal species occurring inland to the Great Dividing Range, except in NSW where they venture further inland. The Eastern Water Dragon occurs from far north QLD to around Nowra in southern NSW. From Nowra, the Eastern Water Dragon is replaced by the Gippsland Water Dragon. This occurs from Nowra through to eastern VIC reaching inland to the ACT. The map below shows where both sub-species can be found.

APPROXIMATE RANGE OF EACH SUB-SPECIES

To see water dragons in the wild it is important to be very quiet. In most cases even a large water dragon will go unnoticed until a splash is heard. When they sense danger the water is their means of escape. They can remain submerged for up to two hours. If you are lucky enough, you can find water dragons basking on rocks and tree branches either around or over the water's edge, although it is not uncommon to find them away from water. Females tend to lay their eggs quite a distance away from the water's edge. In the ACT, Gippsland Water Dragons can quite easily be seen at the National Botanical Gardens on Black Mountain. Here they are rather tame and allow you to approach quite closely, so take your camera. Eastern Water Dragons can easily be seen at such places as Taronga Zoo in NSW, Dreamworld on the Gold Coast and Brisbane's Southbank. Water dragons become quite accustomed to human presence and will even scavenge for food around picnic tables.

WATER DRAGONS IN CAPTIVITY
Keeping water dragons in captivity is fascinating. They are large colourful active lizards that make a wonderful addition to anyone's collection of reptiles, provided their requirements can be met. Similar to Bearded Dragons, Water Dragons love to bask in the sun for most of the day. They are hardy lizards that will tolerate a wide range of conditions (within reason). If keeping the lizards indoors, their adult size must be accounted for. An enclosure of no less than 150cm long and 50cm wide is required. Height must also be considered, as these lizards like to bask on branches overhanging water. Adults should be housed with a minimum height of 80cm. A water bowl large enough for all specimens to fully submerge themselves is needed. When kept indoors water dragons tend to be quite shy so plenty of hiding places are also necessary. Supply a basking lamp at one end of the enclosure maintaining a temperature of about 35ºC directly underneath the lamp. It is important to maintain a temperature gradient preferably within a 10ºC range. Use a thermometer at either end of the enclosure to check the temperature and heat gradient. Appropriate UV lighting is also necessary and is best provided by a fluorescent tube designed for the purposes of keeping reptiles. Failure to provide UV light can result in bone deformities. Good ventilation is a must as it will be very humid in the enclosure because of the heat and water. If the enclosure is poorly ventilated respiratory problems may occur which can be fatal to the lizards. Juvenile water dragons tend to be more insectivorous than adults. Crickets are good, particularly black field crickets, and I have found that slaters are a favourite food item. Any moving insect will normally be taken. Adults will eat a wide variety of food including insects, small yabbies, fish, frogs and fruit. Captive Water Dragons tend to be a bit lazy so care needs to be taken not to overfeed them.

It's is highly recommended that these lizard's be kept outdoors. Here they flourish. They make an attractive addition to the garden. When building an outdoor enclosure the walls should be smooth and extend about 100cm above ground and 50cm below ground as Water Dragons are burrowing lizards. The enclosure should be a minimum of 2m by 2m. A large pond should be enclosed so all adults can submerge themselves. They will sometimes spend the night in the water. Other hiding places should be made available in the enclosure as well, and the lizards must have access to shade. Growing plants in the outdoor enclosure helps in a number of ways. It is more natural to look at, plants will provide good shade and plants will also attract insects which saves money on your feeding bill. Water Dragons tend to calm down dramatically when kept outdoors. It's not likely though that they will accept handling to the extent of Bearded Dragons. Having said this they will learn to accept food from fingers and some can be coaxed to sit on your arm or leg for a food reward. If the lizard need's to be handled care must be taken to avoid scratches from sharp claws as Water Dragons are powerful lizards. It is best to grasp the lizard with one hand around the shoulders holding it's forelimbs back against it's body and the other hand holding it's hind limbs back against it's tail. Never grab these lizard's by the tail, because besides being uncomfortable for the lizard, they will readily shed their tails and although they do grow them back, they lack the patterning of the original tail. It is probably a good idea not to hibernate these lizards until they are about three years old. After this age they should be large enough to handle a winter outside in captive conditions, although they should be closely monitored. It is not uncommon for Water Dragons to sleep out in the open even on cold nights (down to 5ºC) however, temperatures below 7ºC have been known to cause frostbite in some lizards.

So if you can provide the right conditions why not get yourself some Water Dragons. They are impressive, beautiful and easy to feed. What more can you ask for.

REFERENCES: Cogger, H G "Reptiles And Amphibians Of Australia" Sixth Edition, Reed New Holland 2000.

Webster's "Encyclopedia of Australian Reptiles and Frogs" CD-Rom 1998
Webster Publishing

Monaro Amphibian & Reptile Keepers (MARK)