Mary Allen
The body of the Green Water Dragon becomes flattered at the sides and is about 65 to 75 cm long. She features a long tail, a large, broad head, large eyes, and small ears. The males are larger than the females and also have a crest on the nape, back, and tail. The skin of the green water dragon is covered with scales. The animal is colored green above and light green on the belly side. There are bright spots on the head, below the jaw.
Behave
The natural environment of the green water dragon is tropical forests, where heavy monsoon rains fall. They love standing and running water. Their green skin color serves as optimal camouflage against enemies. She is good at climbing, swimming, and diving and is particularly active during the day. The tail serves as a steering element and balances the animal while swimming and diving. If there is danger, they flee into the water. They have well-trained limbs that allow them to move around and quickly escape from their enemies.
The male animals show typical territorial behavior towards competing conspecifics. They nod their heads and erect their front bodies to massively intimidate their counterparts. They do not tolerate other males in their environment and fight each other. A ranking also develops in a group of females. The strongest animals are at the top.
Food
The water dragon feeds mainly on insects, but with increasing age also on plants. Your diet is varied. The feeding rhythm is one to three times a week. The diet should be balanced and varied. Overfeeding must be avoided at all costs, otherwise, life expectancy will decrease. Additional vitamin preparations applied to the feed strengthen the animals’ immune systems.
The Green Water Dragon stalks its victims. She’s waiting for her chance. She sits quietly, well camouflaged, on a leaf and then strikes at lightning speed. Her eyesight is particularly good. It hunts both on the ground and on branches.
Terrarium Requirements
The green water dragon needs a lot of space to feel comfortable. A terrarium measuring 200 x 100 x 150 cm (L x W x H) ensures species-appropriate keeping in captivity. Here a male gets along well with his group of females. Males cannot be kept together, even with other species, as they would not get along due to rivalry and would be constantly in fighting mode. Horizontal branches offer the green water dragons opportunities to climb. UV exposure is essential.
Agamas also need water tanks in the terrarium to keep them happy. 50 percent of the soil should consist of water. Commercial garden soil can be sprinkled on the terrarium floor. Plants in the terrarium would not survive long. They should therefore be very robust, such as the yucca palm. An ambient temperature between 25 to 32 degrees Celsius during the day and between 18 to 22 degrees Celsius at night is optimal for the water dragon. The walls of the terrarium tank should be lined with cork so that it doesn’t run into the glass during its lightning-fast escape reaction.
The cork is used for padding to prevent damage to health. It also offers optimal privacy protection so that the animals do not panic when there are external movements, otherwise, there is a risk of accidents for them. You can create artificial rocks out of synthetic resin or styrofoam for your game. Since the animals are at home in tropical areas, the terrarium must be sprayed with water several times a day. An automatic sprinkler system will do the trick too.
Breeding and Rearing
The male will go to great lengths to charm the female. It nods its head, raises its upper body, and runs after the female to invite her to the sexual act. If the female is willing, the male will bite the female’s neck. This is the so-called mating bite.
This is followed by mating, which is short-lived. The female buries her eggs in the ground. She can lay between seven and twelve eggs. The eggs can be removed and hatched in an incubator at a temperature of 28 to 30 degrees Celsius. After about 60 to 99 days, the little reptiles see the light of day. The little ones are raised together by their parents for about six months.