Other behaviours and adaptations
The Water Dragon is more often heard than seen as it dives into the water when disturbed. It can remain submerged for around one hour. This species has a much lower preferred body temperature than other large dragons and can remain in the water or in shade on hot days. They are often seen on overcast days or in the morning basking in the available heat.
Water Dragons have quite contrasting activity patterns that are dependent on the season and average daily temperature within its range. During spring and summer, Water Dragons of all ages and sizes can be seen in the various riparian environments they inhabit - basking on riverbanks and rocks, lounging in trees, swimming, as well as foraging for food on land. They can sometimes be hard to observe, and even animals accustomed to human attention will be quick to escape if approached too closely, by either dropping from rock ledges and branches into the water or running bipedally to the water or thick cover. Young Water Dragons prefer to be on the ground and appear to be more wary than the larger adults. Juveniles of I. l. lesueurii have been observed staying completely still when discovered in a grassed section metres from the water, relying heavily on their dull grey camouflage to blend in with the grass and fallen leaves.
2- Keeping Water dragon as Pets :
courtesy to : www.mypets.net.au/keeping-water-dragon-as-pets/
Australia’s largest Dragon style lizard is the eastern water Dragon – Miles may grow to a metre long though 80 cm of this is tail… Loving water they are found only on Australia’s east coast the rest of Australia being too dry. They are found as far north as Townsville right down to the very bottom of Victoria.
Care of Australian Water Dragon
1- Australian Water Dragon
courtesy to : tenrandomfacts.com/australian-water-dragon/
By Cris | March 22, 2015 | Animals
Australian water dragons are the dragons of Down Under.
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Australian water dragons are semi-aquatic lizards native to Australia’s eastern states, and they can be found near various water sources.
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Two subspecies of Australian water dragons go by the name of ‘eastern water dragon’ and ‘Gippsland water dragon’.
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The scientific name of the Australian water dragon is Intellagama lesueurii, and it has been previously known as Physignathus lesueurii.
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Australian water dragons are from the family Agamidae, the family of dragon or iguanian lizards, and they are the solitary member of the Intellagama genus.
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Australian water dragons are adaptive swimmers and climbers, and they feature a long tail that they use to swim in the water.
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Australian water dragons grow to lengths of 60 to 100 centimetres (24 to 40 inches) in length and they weigh between 0.5 to 1 kilogram (1.1 to 2.2 pounds).
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Australian water dragons are typically coloured a combination of black, green-grey, yellow, and brown, and they have obvious spikes at the back of the head, that become smaller and less obvious down the back and the tail.
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Eggs of Australian water dragons are laid in quantities of six to eighteen, in holes they dig in soil or sand, and temperature determines the gender of the young.
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The diet of Australian water dragons consists of insects, spiders, worms and occasionally rodents, fruit and vegetation.
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Australian water dragons can stay under water for 30 to 90 minutes without needing air, and often camouflage themselves among foliage or escape into the water, to hide from predators.
Australia’s largest Dragon style lizard is the eastern water Dragon – Miles may grow to a metre long though 80 cm of this is tail… Loving water they are found only on Australia’s east coast the rest of Australia being too dry. They are found as far north as Townsville right down to the very bottom of Victoria.
Keeping a water dragon Indoors.
Keeping a water Dragon as a pet can be fascinating as they are large active colourful lizards. Though active they spend the vast majority of the day basking in the sun. They are exceptionally hardy and can adapt to a wide range of conditions assuming there is water.
They can be kept inside require a large enclosure of no less than 1.5 m long and 50 m wide. As they liked to sit on perches the enclosure should be at least 1 m high.
They are not called water Dragons for nothing – they like water and should be supplied with a water bowl or bath long and deep enough for them to completely immerse themselves within. This large water source can cause problems with high humidity in the enclosure resulting in the enclosure being damp and mouldy. These conditions are far from ideal for your water Dragon and they can develop respiratory problems to ensure the enclosure is well ventilated.
They need an area to bask in a need areas to hide in. To warm the enclosure place in her hitting lamp at one end – they will lie under it or near it as long as they need to maintain their optimum body temperature. Indoors they also require UV lighting – failure to do so can result in and developing deformities of their bones.
Juvenile water Dragons a voracious hunters of insects, they are especially fond of feeder crickets, slaters, but pretty much anything that moves and is big enough to fit in their mouth will end up there. The diet of the adults is more varied as their size is difficult to be supported by eating insects alone. Adults will eat small yabby is fish, frogs and fruit. Remember your captive water Dragon in a relatively small enclosure is less active in the wild water Dragon so be careful not to provide too much food.
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.
Keeping a water Dragon outdoors
outdoors the issues of ventilation, mould and heating come less of a problem assuming you live in an area where they naturally exist. Outdoors however, your enclosure needs to extend below the ground as they will dig under any fence. Their enclosure should have an area that captures the sun most of the day, as well as a shaded area they can use to hide in or to regulate their body temperature. Of course, they still need access to water to bathe in.
Ideally this outdoor enclosure will contain plants that can act as both shade and insect attraction. Water Dragons do not like to be handled but with time and patience may grow to accept a level of gentle handling in exchange for a food reward. Always be careful of their strong claws.
In the wild, water Dragons live in areas they can get down to near freezing at night and they are able to tolerate low temperatures. In the wild however they are able to seek shelter from extreme conditions so ensure your outdoor enclosure provides such shelter.
3- Australian Water Dragon :
courtesy to : australianmuseum.net.au/water-dragon
The Water Dragon is Australia's largest dragon lizard and can be found living along healthy waterways in Sydney.
Young Eastern Water Dragon
Photographer: Steve Vogel © Australian Museum
Standard Common Name
Water Dragon
Identification :
The genus Physignathus was described by George Cuvier (1769-1832) in 1829 based on the type specimen of the genus; the Green Water Dragon, Physignathus cocincinus of south-east Asia. The name Physignathus translates to "puff-cheek" and refers to the bulging appearance of the throat and lower jaw. Physignathus comprises two recognised species; Physignathus lesueurii and Physignathus concincinus. The specific name lesueurii honours the French naturalist Charles-Alexandre Lesueur (1778-1846) who collected this species on the Baudin expedition of 1800. There are two recognised subspecies of Water Dragon; the Eastern Water Dragon, Physignathus lesueurii lesueurii and the Gippsland Water Dragon, Physignathus lesueurii howittii. A recent taxonomic review concluded that the Australian species of Physignathus shows enough differing characteristics to classify it in its own genus, since Physignathus was first assigned to P. cocincinus, a new genus hand to be created for the Australian Water Dragons. In 2012 the species was officially renamed Itellagama lesueurii.
The Water Dragon can be identified by a distinctively deep angular head and nuchal crest of spinose scales that joins the vertebral crest extending down the length of its body to the tail. Enlarged spinose scales are also present across the lateral surface, unevenly distributed amongst regular keeled scales. The jowls are large and ear is exposed and of almost equal size of the eye. The dorsal ridge and tail are laterally compressed and the limbs are strong and robust with particularly long toes on the hind legs. The tail is capable of regeneration when lost, furthermore, regenerated tails can also grow back when severed.
Colouration differs between the subspecies; the Eastern Water Dragon, Itellagama lesueurii lesueurii, has a grey to brownish-grey colour above with patterns of black stripes along the dorsal ridge as well as down the tail. There is also a dark stripe horizontally from the eye back over the tympanum and extending down the neck. The limbs are mostly black with spots and stripes of grey and the tail is patterned with grey and black stripes. The ventral surface is yellowish-brown, with the chest and upper belly becoming bright red in mature males.
The Gippsland Water Dragon, Itellagama lesueurii howittii, is identical in morphology apart from slightly smaller spinose scales but differs in colouration and patterning. Dorsally the body is olive-green to brown in colour with transverse black stripes. The dark stripe from the eye to ear is absent. Mature males have dark blue-green chests and streaks of yellow and blue around the neck and throat.
Size range :
Total length of 80 to 90cm
Distribution :
Water Dragons are found in eastern Australia as well as southern New Guinea. The Eastern subspecies, Itellagama lesueurii lesueurii, occurs along the east coast of Australia from Cooktown in the north down to the New South Wales south coast (approximately at Kangaroo Valley) where it is replaced with the Gippsland subspecies Itellagama lesueurii howittii, which is distributed as far south and into the Gippsland region of eastern Victoria. There are also at least one anthropologically introduced feral population found in the Mount Lofty Ranges near Adelaide in South Australia.
Distribution by collection data
Biomaps map of Water Dragon specimens in the Australian Museum collection.
Habitat :
The habitats available to this species differ greatly over its distribution, from tropical rainforest in the north to alpine streams in the south. Flowing water with ample tree cover and basking sites appear to be the key to habitat preference for this species. Water dragons will be found in built-up urban areas provided that the above conditions can be found and water quality is fair.
Habitat type :
Terrestrial Habitat: riparian
Seasonality :
Water Dragons are usually active in the Sydney region from September to June, becoming inactive during the cooler months. To survive the the low winter temperatures Water Dragons will enter established burrows or scrape their own between boulders and logs in or near riverbanks and pack dirt into the opening to seal themselves off. Once entombed they will slow their metabolism and enter a state of brumation until spring arrives.
Feeding and Diet :
Water Dragons are completely insectivorous as juveniles, however as they grow they become more omnivorous with vegetable matter gradually making up to almost half of the diet. In the wild Water Dragons have been observed ground feeding on insects such as ants as well as foraging amongst the branches of trees for arboreal invertebrates like cicadas. They may also consume molluscs and crustaceans such as yabbies, and individuals have been reported foraging for algae and crabs in intertidal zones of the Sydney region. Juvenile Water Dragons have also been observed feeding on mosquitoes which they will jump in the air to catch. Types of vegetation reportedly consumed include figs, lilly-pilly fruits, and other fruits and flowers. Water Dragons are believed to forage underwater, however this is based on one observation of diving Water Dragons returning to the surface and moving their jaws.
Feeding Habit
omnivore
Communication :
In the wild, Water Dragons can be found in large numbers in areas of suitable habitat. These groups are usually comprised of several females, juveniles of various ages and a dominant male who will defend as much of the territory as possible from other males. Water Dragons communicate through a variety of dominant and submissive signals including head-bobbing, saluting and substrate licking. The actual meaning of some of these displays is not yet fully understood.
Life history modes
arboreal, diurnal, riparian, terrestrial
Life cycle :
Growth rate is fastest in the first year with hatchings from one mark-recapture project growing 2.25mm or 1.25g per month. One individual measured in its first season in March 1990 was 78mm from snout to vent and weighed 17g. The following year in January this same individual had a snout to vent length of 101mm and was 34g.
Mating and reproduction :
The timing of breeding is determined by the onset of warmer weather in spring which occurs sooner in populations inhabiting northern Queensland and later in populations living in Gippsland. In the Sydney region, the breeding season begins in September, when courtship and mating begins, and concludes in January when the last clutches of eggs are laid.
Males are thought to be sexually mature at a snout-vent length of about 210 mm and a mass of 400 g. In the wild this occurs at approximately 5 years of age; in captivity however this can occur as early as 2 years. A single captive female was recorded reproducing from the age of 4 until it was 27 years of age. It is unclear how long males can remain reproductive.
Males of similar size will fight each other when confronted. A male will first attempt to deter his opponent through intimidation, e.g. by walking tall and puffing out the throat with the mouth open wide (see Image 18), and will try to appear as large as possible. If this does not deter the opponent, then ritual combat will result. Male combat includes both animals siding up to each other on the ground so that each animal has its head next to its opponent’s hip area. Both animals will circle each other while taking short bites at each others hip and neck regions. Then they may stop still before erupting into action and repeating this pattern over several more times. Before the end of the battle both opponents will have wounds from biting and scratching on their hips and necks. Fighting between wild males has been observed lasting for ten minutes.
Females can reproduce twice a season in captivity; however this has not been reported in mark-recapture studies of wild populations.
Females begin digging test holes in sandy soil from a week to three days prior to laying. Water Dragon clutch size ranges from 6 to 18. Mean mass of individual eggs varies from about 4.0 to 5.1g.
Predators, Parasites and Diseases :
Small Water Dragons have been observed being taken by Brown Tree Snakes Boiga irregularis which hunt for them in the tree branches as they sleep. Other species of snakes known to prey on juvenile Water Dragons include Death Adders Acanthophis antarcticus, Copperheads Austrelaps superbus and Red-bellied Black Snakes Pseudechis porphyriacus. Hatchlings and young dragons are also known to be cannibalised by adult Water Dragons in some wild populations.
Conservation Status
Protected in all states and territories where it occurs naturally: Queensland, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory and Victoria. Not listed as threatened in any state or territory.
Fossils :
Fossils belonging to the genus Physignathus and resembling extant Water Dragons have been discovered in Miocene deposits in Riversleigh, Queensland, indicating that this genus has existed in Australia for at least 20 million years.
Era / Period :
Miocene Epoch, Pliocene Epoch, Quaternary Period
Management :
This species is protected in Australia. Wild specimens cannot be collected from the wild and a permit is required in most states and territories to keep this species in captivity. Please see the Animal Keeping Resources page on the Live Exhibits section and check with your local wildlife licensing agency.
Danger to humans and first aid :
Large adult Water Dragons will appear confident and friendly however they should not be approached as they have very sharp claws and can deliver a serious bite.
Classification :
Species:lesueurii
Genus:Itellagama
Family:Agamidae
Suborder:Lacertilia
Order:Squamata
Subclass:Lepidosauria
Class:Reptilia
Subphylum:Vertebrata
Phylum:Chordata
Kingdom:Animalia
Further Reading :
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Annable, T.J. 1995. Annotated checklist of the reptiles of Wagga Wagga and district, NSW. Herpetofauna. Vol 25(1):22-7
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Cogger, H. G. Cameron, E. E. Sadlier, R. A. and Eggler, P. 1993. The Action Plan for Australian Reptiles. Australian Nature Conservation Agency. Canberra.
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Courtice, G. P. 1985. Effects of Hypoxia on Cardiac Vagal Action in a Lizard Physignathus lesueurii, and its Contribution to Diving Bradycardia. Pp: 373-7 in Biology of Australasian Frogs and Reptiles. Grigg, G. Shine, R. And Ehmann, H. Royal Zoological Society of NSW.
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Longley, G. 1940. Notes of Some Australian Lizards, 3. The Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii). Proceedings of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales 1940-41: 32.
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Retallick, R.WR. and Hero, J. M. 1994. Predation of an Eastern Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii) by a Common Brown Tree Snake (Boiga irregularis). Herpetofauna. 24(2):47-8.
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Swan, G. 1990. A Field Guide To The Snakes and Lizards of New South Wales. Three Sisters. Winmalee.
For the refrences click here tosee the full article
4- Australian Water Dragon (Physignathus lesueurii) - Caresheet
courtesy to : www.dragonfarm.co.uk/australian-water-dragon-caresheet.php
Written by Mark Harris © 2011.
Introduction :
The Australian Water Dragon is also known as the Brown Water Dragon, or in its native homeland, the Eastern Water Dragon. It is found on the eastern coast of Australia from Cairns, Queensland in the north to Eastern Victoria in the south. It is a very hardy lizard that makes an excellent pet, both for new and more experienced reptile keepers. This species needs a large sized cage to give it a decent quality of life. Despite what you may read elsewhere on the internet, the care of Australian Water dragons is not the same as that for Green Water Dragons. They are very different lizards.
Housing :
Indoors it can be housed in vivaria from 150cm long by 60cm deep by 60cm high, as a minimum for an adult pair. The sides of the cage should be opaque except for the front glass to give the dragon some sense of security. The dragon is likely to be very nervous and damage itself in cages made entirely of glass. In Northern European countries such as the UK, Holland and Germany, it will do well in an outdoor, mesh topped cage, in the summer months. In Southern European countries it may do well outdoors for six months of the year or more. When kept outdoors it is essential they have access to an underground hide to avoid the extremes of both hot and cold weather.
Diet :
Baby dragons can be fed daily on crickets, hopper locusts, mealworms and small cockroaches. I find larger dragons especially love Morio worms, Blaptica dubia roaches, well grown hopper locusts, and adult crickets. At around one year old they may start to consume some leafy greens such as dandelion, rocket, and clover leaves. This is good for them. But they will only eat vegetation, if they are fed insects less frequently. By around a year old insects need only be fed to the dragons around three times a week. It’s very important to ensure any insects used are first fed for 24 hours on a variety of green leafy matter, other vegetables or fruits.
Vitamins/minerals :
Live food should be dusted every third meal with a combined multivitamin/mineral supplement such as Nutrobal. When the dragons are exposed to high output ultraviolet tubes (i.e. 10% UVB rated tubes) or mercury vapour bulbs, it is probably a good idea to use instead a 50/50 mix of nutrobal and calcium carbonate powder. Otherwise you risk overdosing vitamin D3.
Water :
As water dragons like to defecate in the water container, the water will normally need to be changed on a daily basis. To calculate of the size of the water container to use, you need to measure the full length including the tail of the largest dragon. The length of the Water container should be at least ¾’s the length of this largest dragon. But bigger is better. The water level should be at least deep enough to allow the dragons to totally immerse their bodies under the water. While it is a good idea to provide as big a water container as possible, it is worth remembering that if the water is very difficult to change, because the container or the water volume is very large, then it may not get changed as frequently as it should. It is vitally important that the dragons can easily enter and exit the water. Failure to provide the correct conditions could result in drowning. Paint roller trays provide an ideal pool for young dragons. Not only do they provide a sloped entrance/exit but also a good cool hide also. Add a decent rough rock into the water section to help the dragons leave the water easily. The water temperature should be around 15-24°C.
Temperatures :
Day time temperatures should be at the cool end between 20-25°C, at the hot end between 25-30°C, and at the hot spot 40°C.
Night time temperatures should be between 15-22°C.
Heating :
The vivarium should contain thick branches that enable the dragons to get off the ground, and bask near a heat source. This could be either a ceramic heater with thermostatic control, or a mercury vapour combined heat and UV light bulb. The later cannot be regulated with a thermostat and are only suitable in very large vivaria. Old fashioned tungsten light bulbs are now difficult to obtain with a sufficiently high enough wattage to be effective stand alone heaters. Generally any heat source needs to be placed at one end of the vivarium to ensure there is a ‘hot end’ and a ‘cool end’. Reptiles need to be able to move easily between different temperature zones to enable them to control their own body temperature. Very good quality digital ‘in/out’ style thermometers are now available at very reasonable prices. I would consider these an essential part of any vivarium set up.
Lighting :
Lighting should be bright. Specialist reptile tubes should be used, rated at least 5% UVB (ultraviolet B range light), but preferably 10% UVB output. In large cages it is definitely worth considering two tubes. One should be a high output UVB tube, the other should be a tube designed to replicate natural daylight conditions. When using UV tube lighting, branches should be positioned so the dragons can choose to bask within 20cm of the light, whether near they are near the heat source or not.
Lights should be on for around 12 hours per day, and the use of a timer switch is highly recommended.
Humidity :
It’s perfectly fine for humidity to range from 40-70 %. Certainly Australian Water Dragons do not need the continuous high humidity required by Green Water Dragons (Physignathus cocincinus). It’s a very good idea to ensure that young water dragons have a cool damp hide in the vivarium.
General Care and Notes:
One of the great things about Australian Water Dragons is that they are very hardy lizards. It’s extremely rare if they are kept in the correct conditions for them to become sick. I have never, despite having kept many hundreds of these lizards, seen any evidence of ill health, caused by the internal parasitic infections, that are very common in other lizards, such as bearded Dragons. They are never exported from the wild, so any Australian Water Dragon you see for sale outside of Australia, you can pretty much guarantee will be captive bred.
I personally have no interest in routine handling of my dragons, so I have no experience of ‘taming’ Australian Water Dragons. Mine are only handled when strictly necessary, usually around once per year. Other keepers have told me though that with frequent and gentle handling, Australian Water Dragons can become quite tame. Certainly mine generally will appear to ignore me when I enter their vivaria to dig up eggs or perform other routine chores. Australian Water Dragons very rarely suffer from damaged snouts like Green Water Dragons, and are generally much less nervous lizards. Normally mine will only move away from me if I attempt to pick them up. It’s extremely important though that when you acquire a dragon of any age, or move it to a new cage, you leave it alone to allow it to settle into its new home for a few weeks before handling it. Certainly you should not handle it until you are sure it is eating well in it’s new home.
Immature Australian Water Dragons can be difficult to sex. Normally it becomes easier at around 1 year of age. Mature female dragons will have either white, or pink bellies and chests. Mature males will have a strong red blood colouration instead. Also males have more prominent nuchal crests at the top of the neck, just behind the head. On a mature male you will see a stronger black stripe on the head, as well as more obvious silver coloured lips. Examples showing the different belly colours can be seen in the Australian Water Dragon gallery pictures.
Other Eastern dragon - Care Websites :
- www.reptile-cage-plans.com/articles/lizards/water-dragon-care.html
- www.hollywoodfishfarm.co.nz/eastern-water-dragon-care-sheet/
- reptilianyex.tripod.com/id18.html
Agamidae : Introduction
Agamidae Species : Africa - Asia - Australia & Papua new guinea
- Species and subfamilies list : ( AUSTRALIA )
- Genus Amphibolurus :
- Frill-necked dragon Chlamydosaurus kingii
- Genus Ctenophorus : PART 1 PART 2
- Eastern water dragon Physignathus lesueurii : Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
- Eastern bearded dragon Pogona barbata
- Central bearded dragon Pogona vitticeps ( One of the most famous reptile pet in the World )
- Genus : Tympanocryptis Part 1 Part 2
- Species and subfamilies list : ( AUSTRALIA )
- Genus Amphibolurus :
- Frill-necked dragon Chlamydosaurus kingii
- Genus Ctenophorus : PART 1 PART 2
- Eastern water dragon Physignathus lesueurii : Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
- Eastern bearded dragon Pogona barbata
- Central bearded dragon Pogona vitticeps ( One of the most famous reptile pet in the World )
- Genus : Tympanocryptis Part 1 Part 2