Water dragons need 10 to 12 hours of UVB light daily to stay healthy. Aside from sunlight (not filtered through a window), there are a couple of different sources that give off invisible UVB rays.
Water dragons are diurnal lizards, meaning they are active during the day and sleep at night. The lights, therefore, need to go off at night. For this reason, a lightless heat source, such as a ceramic heat emitter for day and night heating might also prove beneficial.
Heating for Chinese Water Dragons
You will need a ceramic bulb heating your tank 24/7 to provide your night time temperatures and ambient, and then a basking bulb in the hot side of the tank to create your basking temperature.
In the wild, the Chinese water dragon will spend a lot if its time basking in the sunlight. As such they require a very warm basking area of 32-35℃ (90-95℉) during the day time.
In order to replicate the Chinese water dragon's native environment, you'll need to maintain a day-time cage temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with between 70-80 percent humidity, and a night-time temperature no colder than 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Water dragons need 10 to 12 hours of UVB light daily to stay healthy. Aside from sunlight (not filtered through a window), there are a couple of different sources that give off invisible UVB rays. Fluorescent bulbs and mercury vapor bulbs are the two most commonly used sources of UVB in the pet world.
Australian water dragons, as with most pets, require a clean environment to thrive. We recommend that you spot clean as often as possible (every day) and a full clean every 4 weeks or so. If you are keeping the dragon in a bio-active enclosure you can spot clean and monitor the enclosure instead.
The humidity should be kept at around 80 percent; it's smart to use a digital hydrometer to know the humidity of the enclosure. Mist the enclosure once or twice daily as needed. Potted live plants can help keep the humidity up as well.
Water Dragons can sleep in the water, with just their nostrils protruding. In cold weather before they go into their winter dormancy (hibernation), sleeping in the water overnight, is actually warmer than sleeping in the open. Water Dragons can eat underwater.
The best nighttime heat source for a Bearded dragon is a ceramic heat emitter, as this emits no light and can be thermostatically controlled to maintain a set temperature that should still be lower than during the day.
The substrate used in the green water dragon habitat should be one that will encourage the high humidity levels that these lizards prefer. Reptile (orchid) bark, cypress mulch, or any number of coconut husk products are ideal choices. Avoid using any type of overly drying substrate such as sand or paper based products.
Hatchling Water Dragons can be housed in a 20 gallon tank. A single adult should have a minimum of a 60 gallon tank. Males should not be housed together, but multiple females or a pair could be housed in a 150 gallon tank. Water Dragons prefer a vertically oriented enclosure with plenty of climbing space.
Feeding frequency is daily for juveniles and every 2-3 days for adults. Remember — if the enclosure temperature is not right your dragon may refuse to eat, or not be able to digest its food properly. All dragons are insect-eaters and should be offered a selection of live crickets, silkworms and mealworms.
Chinese water dragons are a large, green species of lizard from Asia. Like other lizards, Chinese water dragons like to climb trees, but they're also excellent swimmers. These large lizards can also be kept as pets.
Water dragons can lift themselves up on their back legs and run short distances if threatened. They can hold their breath under water for up to an hour to escape predators. Females can lay up to two clutches of 10–20 eggs each season, which are buried.
Water Dragons are preyed on in the wild by various snakes, such as Brown Tree Snake (Boiga irregularis), the Common Death Adder (Acanthophis antarcticus), the Lowlands Copperhead (Austrelaps superbus), the Red-bellied Black Snake (Pseudechis porphyriacus) and the Eastern Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis).
Eastern Water Dragons love:
Food – especially insects, frogs, yabbies and water insects.
Water dragons should be regularly fed large insects such as woodies, crickets and mealworms. A lean, salt and fat reduced (less than 1.5%) dog food (not fish) can also be mixed in with vegetables, calcium supplements and vitamin supplements to form a staple part of their diet.
If you want to bring your water dragon outside, there are a few things to consider. Make sure the temperature will be comfortable (70-90 degrees). Remember that your dragon cannot regulate his own body temperature. The only way he can warm or cool himself is by moving to a warmer or cooler location.
If you see a water dragon, please respect their space and habitat and never try to touch or feed them.
This lizard is found around creeks, watercourses and backyard ponds and is more often heard than seen plopping into water from its basking position. Don't approach water dragons as they have sharp claws and can deliver a serious bite.
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.
As adults Water Dragons will require as big an enclosure as possible. 2700mm x 750mm as a minmum would be recommended. They can also be kept outdoors in aviary style enclosures once adults. As juveniles you can keep them in smaller enclosure and upsize as you dragon gets larger.
Sleeping habits
Since the Australian Water Dragons are diurnal reptiles, they are most active during the day when they hunt and do different activities. They sleep and rest at night. They are most likely to stay awake for about 12 hours and sleep the rest of the day.