The Chinese water dragon is a beautiful species of agamid lizard native to Southeastern Asia. They are also called the green water dragon, the Thai water dragon, and the Asian water dragon.
An adult Chinese water dragon is about 24-36 in (60- 90 cm) long. They are a beautiful green color with darker stripes of green or turquoise making them even more interesting.
They also have very long tails that help them in balancing themselves and swimming. Their bellies are usually a lighter shade of cream, pale yellow, or pale green.
They are arboreal creatures, meaning they like to live in the trees. They are also diurnal, which means they are active during the day. The color of their bodies helps them hide in the trees and they can catch prey easily with their sticky tongue.
Chinese water dragons make for excellent pets. However, they need a bit more care than your ordinary pet, but nothing outlandish.
Read more about how to care for your pet Chinese water dragon in this article specially crafted for you. We are sure you will also fall in love with this beautiful lizard as much as we have.
If you want to read more amazing animal facts like this, please check out the Texas horned lizard and the bearded dragon.
Chinese Water Dragon Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a Chinese Water Dragon?
The Chinese water dragon is a type of agamid lizard found in southeast Asia. They are also known as the Thai water dragon, Asian water dragon, and green water dragon.
What class of animal does a Chinese Water Dragon belong to?
Chinese water dragons belong to the Reptilia class of the Animalia kingdom.
How many Chinese Water Dragons are there in the world?
The exact number of Chinese water dragons in the world is not known. However, they are not endangered in the wild, and because of their affectionate personality, they are very popular in the reptilian pet trade. However, the pet trade and habitat loss due to deforestation is also causing them to lose numbers in the wild.
Where does a Chinese Water Dragon live?
Chinese water dragons are found in the highland and lowland forests of Southeast Asia. They are mostly found in China, Burma, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia. They like to live closer to freshwater sources.
What is a Chinese Water Dragon's habitat?
Chinese water dragons are found in Southeast Asian countries. They tend to live around sources of fresh water and trees.
Since they are arboreal animals, they tend to live in trees during the day. They are also diurnal lizards. Meaning, they are most active during the day.
They stay on treetops in the daytime to soak in as much sunlight as possible. Rainforests and swamps are the ideal Chinese water dragon habitat. They catch insects, small lizards, and other prey with their sticky tongue.
They live near water sources so they can run away and hide underwater if they are ever threatened by predators. They are excellent swimmers and can hold their breath underwater for about 30 minutes.
They also sometimes hunt in water as they like eating small fish. In an enclosure, it is important to try and recreate the ideal habitat for Chinese water dragons.
They need a lot of humidity and warm temperature to thrive in captivity. They also need places to climb and water to submerge into. Their enclosure needs to have live plants and a large water source so they can live happily.
Who do Chinese Water Dragons live with?
In the wild, Chinese water dragons tend to live alone. They come together for mating.
In captivity, Chinese water dragons can be kept in pairs if one is a male and the other one is a female. If you keep two adult males together, they will most likely fight until they are severely injured.
Two females also will not get along very well, but these lizards make great pets and get along very well with humans.
They are affectionate and gentle but active. Even if Chinese water dragons are kept alone but get enough attention from their owners, they will be very happy.
How long does a Chinese Water Dragon live?
On average, Chinese water dragons live for 10-15 years. These lizards tend to live a little longer in captivity. If properly cared for, a Chinese water dragon can live up to the age of 20 years.
How do they reproduce?
Chinese water dragons reproduce through mating. The mating occurs in late winter or early spring.
The males approach the females through various gestures and movements. The female Chinese water dragon's gestation period is about 60 days, but they can also store the sperm inside their bodies and fertilize the eggs later. After gestation, they lay the eggs.
The females lay up to 18 eggs at one time. Female Chinese water dragons lay these eggs in a swallow nest in the ground.
These eggs hatch after 60-75 days of being laid. The hatchlings are about 5-8 in (12-20 cm) when they first come out of the eggs.
Sexual dimorphism exists in Chinese water dragons from a young age. The males grow sharper spikes on their backs as they develop, while the females will grow stubbier spikes. The heads of the females will also look more underdeveloped than the males.
If you know what to look for, identifying a female baby Chinese water dragon and a male baby Chinese water dragon is pretty easy. Both males and females reach physical maturity at about two years of age and sexual maturity at about three years of age.
What is their conservation status?
Chinese water dragons are not considered to be endangered. They have a Vulnerable status in the IUCN Red List but they are not endangered in the wild. Their population is decreasing because of the pet trade and habitat loss due to deforestation.
Chinese Water Dragon Fun Facts
What do Chinese Water Dragons look like?
The Chinese water dragon is a beautiful creature worthy of its name. They might not be actual dragons but they surely are majestic enough to be.
These amazing lizards are about 24-36 in (60- 90 cm) long when fully grown. Male Chinese water dragons are usually larger than females. Both their bodies exhibit a bright green color with darker stripes of green or turquoise adorning them.
The underbellies of these lizards are a lighter color. Usually, it's a pale yellow, pale green, or light green.
Their tails are long and they have darker brown or black-ish bands on them. Their throats are one of the most attractive parts of them, as they can be quite colorful. The color of their throats can be blue, purple, orange, peach, or pink.
Or they can be darker or multicolored. It is easy to distinguish between the males and females of the species and not just because of the difference in their size.
Males also have larger heads and sharper ridges on their backs than female Chinese water dragons. Chinese water dragons have a small iridescent spot on their foreheads. This spot between their eyes is photosensitive and is usually called their third eye.
It is used to determine changes in light. Being able to determine changes in light makes it easier for them to bask in the sunlight during the day.
How cute are they?
Chinese water dragons are a pretty cute species of animals. They might not be traditionally cute like puppies or kittens, but their disposition makes them very lovable. They are one of the friendliest species of lizards that get along very well with humans.
Their dark and light green bodies with contrasting pale green or pale yellow underbellies look beautiful. They are one of the larger lizard species but they are not too big. Their friendly nature makes them cute.
How do they communicate?
There are a lot of ways through which Chinese water dragons communicate. Head bobbing, waving their hands, and inflating their throats are some of the behaviors seen in wild Chinese water dragons.
These behaviors are mostly used by males to assert dominance over each other. They also show these behaviors in captivity. This might mean they are agitated.
The head bobbing might also show the willingness to mate and waving their arms may mean submission. They do not make any particular noises but use body language to communicate. Usually, they like being handled by humans because the Chinese water dragon's temperament is affectionate and gentle which makes taking care of them pretty easy.
Unless they are annoyed, then they do not become violent. If they are scared, they might turn dark, or whip their tails.
How big is a Chinese Water Dragon?
Chinese water dragons are one of the larger lizard species. They are about 24-36 in (60- 90 cm) long.
The adult males of the species are usually larger than the adult females. The hatchlings or the baby Chinese water dragons are about 5-8 in (12-20 cm) long after being born. It takes them about two years to reach their full length.
How fast can a Chinese Water Dragon move?
Chinese water dragons are pretty fast animals. They can run at a speed of 30 mph (48 kph).
They usually run on all four legs but sometimes they run on just their hind legs. Their hind legs are pretty strong and muscular which helps Chinese water dragons to run faster and for a long time. They are also very good swimmers and can swim very fast.
How much does a Chinese Water Dragon weigh?
An adult Chinese water dragon weighs about 1.9-2.2 lb (0.9-1 kg). The males, being larger, weigh a bit more than the females.
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no specific names for the males and females of the species. They are simply called male Chinese water dragons and female Chinese water dragons.
What would you call a baby Chinese Water Dragon?
Even though there is no specific name for baby Chinese water dragons, they are often called hatchlings because they are born from eggs.
What do they eat?
In the wild, Chinese water dragons are known to eat various insects, small fish, small reptiles like lizards, and small mice. They also eat fruits and vegetables. They are mostly active during the day and hunt during the daytime as well since they like basking in the sunlight.
Are they poisonous?
No. Chinese water dragons are not poisonous or venomous reptiles. They are very gentle and affectionate creatures that are not violent.
If they are left alone in a cage for weeks, they might get a little angry. They also get angry if they are handled roughly, but their bites are not dangerous to humans. Due to their sharp teeth, their bites can cause small cuts but it is nothing to worry about as it is not dangerous.
Would they make a good pet?
Yes, Chinese water dragons make for great pets. They are easy to handle and are rarely aggressive towards humans.
They are tame and affectionate. However, they have some special needs that must be met. If two males are kept together, they might fight, but they are not hostile towards humans.
If they feel threatened, they will turn dark or whip their tails, but they are rarely violent. Taking care of them is a little tricky but if they have a large enclosure with live plants, humidity, and a source of fresh water to soak in, they will be happy and healthy for a long time.
The Chinese water dragon's diet is also not very complicated. They can eat insects and small fish as well. You just need to make sure everything you feed them is fresh and safe.
They also need a warm temperature and high humidity in their enclosure. These lizards make for very good pets and they can be pretty affectionate.
They are also inexpensive. They cost around $50. If you are somewhat experienced with reptiles, they make for great pets.
Did you know...
Chinese water dragons can hold their breath underwater for 30 minutes, making them excellent swimmers.
Chinese water dragons have an iridescent spot between their eyes that helps them sense changes in light, colloquially it is called their third eye.
There are some arguments about whether Chinese water dragons are carnivores or omnivores. They sometimes eat vegetables and fruits, especially in captivity, but mostly they eat insects and small lizards, and fish.
Are they slimy?
No, Chinese water dragons are not slimy, but some infections can cause them to secrete mucus. You should consult a vet if something like this happens to your pet Chinese water dragon.
Taking care of a Chinese Water Dragon
Taking care of Chinese water dragons is not very hard, but it needs some work. Chinese water dragon babies are about 5-8 in (12-20cm) long when they hatch out of the eggs.
If you are housing a baby Chinese water dragon, it can be kept in a smaller enclosure. However, as they reach their full length of 24-36 in (60- 90 cm) in two or three years, they will grow to be quite long.
The Chinese water dragon enclosure needs to be much larger when they are adults. They are arboreal animals that need places to climb onto.
They also need humidity and sunlight because they are reptiles. They need 60-80% humidity to thrive.
It is a good option to have live plants inside their enclosures. They also need a warmer temperature.
If you want to keep more than one Chinese water dragon as a pet, you need to be careful. If two males of the species are kept together, they would fight amongst themselves to assert dominance and might end up being seriously injured.
If two females are kept together, they also might become territorial, though they will not fight as much as the males. The best option is to keep one male and one or two females in the same enclosure.
Feeding them is also quite easy. Contact a specialist before deciding on a diet for your pet Chinese water dragon. They can eat various types of insects.
They also eat small fish and mice occasionally. You have to make sure that all of these are safe for human consumption. Fresh food will make your Chinese water dragon happy.
They are omnivores, so they can also eat berries, carrots, etc. If Chinese water dragons are provided with a comfortable home, they might live up to 15 years. So, even though Chinese water dragon care is a little complicated, their friendliness makes up for it.
How to say Water Dragon in Chinese
In Chinese, water dragon is pronounced as 水龙 (Shuǐlóng).
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other reptiles including the Thorny devil and the Gila monster.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Chinese water dragon coloring pages.
