Chinese water dragons (Physignathus cocincinus) are popular exotic pets, known for their unique appearance and relatively friendly demeanor. These diurnal reptiles, native to the forests of East and Southeast Asia, require specific care to thrive in captivity. A crucial aspect of their well-being is a well-balanced diet. This article provides a detailed overview of the dietary needs of Chinese water dragons, ensuring their health and longevity.
Understanding Chinese Water Dragons
Before diving into the specifics of their diet, it's essential to understand some basic facts about Chinese water dragons. They typically grow to an average length of 3 feet (1 meter), with females being slightly smaller. In captivity, their lifespan ranges from 10 to 15 years. They are arboreal lizards, meaning they like to climb, and are also semi-aquatic, enjoying swimming and soaking in water.
Chinese water dragons are admired for their triangular heads and coloration that varies between light and dark green. Their tails, which make up about two-thirds of their total length, feature dark green or brown banding. Their bellies are typically lighter, with colors such as white, pale green, or pale yellow.
Dietary Composition: Omnivorous with a Preference for Meat
Chinese water dragons are omnivores, but they are natural predators and prefer meat over fruits and vegetables whenever possible. As a rule of thumb, their diet should consist of 85-90% insects, with the remaining 10-15% comprising fruits and vegetables. They are voracious eaters and thrive on variety, so a feeding schedule that incorporates different meals each day is ideal.
Feeding Frequency and Amount
The amount of food a Chinese water dragon needs depends on its size, and a good rule is to feed it only as much as it will eat. Feeding frequency is largely determined by the animal’s age. Juvenile Chinese water dragons need to be fed more frequently than adults to promote healthy growth. Juveniles usually require daily feedings, while adults may only need to be fed every two to three days. You can feed your adult dragon daily if you like, just be sure to keep the portion sizes small to prevent the dragon from becoming overweight.
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Recommended Food Items
Insects
Insects should form the bulk of a Chinese water dragon's diet. Variety is key, and a mix of different insects will provide a more balanced nutritional profile.
- Dubia Roaches: These are a great option due to their high protein content and ease of breeding.
- Crickets: A staple insect for many reptiles, crickets are readily available and provide good nutrition.
- Superworms: These are high in fat, so they should be offered in moderation.
- Hornworms: These can be a good treat and are hydrating due to their high moisture content.
- Calciworms: These are high in calcium, making them a nutritious addition to the diet.
Vegetables
About 10-15% of the diet should be made up of vegetables. You can offer collards, dandelion greens, and mustard greens. You can also occasionally offer squash, green beans, and sweet potato.
Fruits
Fruits can be offered occasionally as treats due to their high sugar content.
Occasional Treats
- Pinkies (newborn mice): If you choose to feed pinkies for variety, do so sparingly, such as once a month.
- Feeder Fish: Guppies and platies are suitable options, but avoid goldfish as they contain high levels of thiaminase, which is toxic to water dragons. Some keepers breed their own feeder fish to ensure they are parasite-free.
Foods to Avoid
While Chinese water dragons enjoy eating just about anything, not all foods are safe for them to eat. Never feed them dog, cat, or other animal food.
Supplementation
A well-balanced diet should provide your dragon with adequate nutrition, but you may still want to occasionally offer supplements. The most common supplement for Chinese water dragons is calcium, which is extremely important because if your dragon doesn’t get enough calcium in its diet, it can develop a metabolic bone disease. Dusting insects with calcium powder before feeding them to your dragon is an effective way to ensure they get enough of this essential nutrient.
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Gut-Loading and Dusting
To maximize the nutritional value of feeder insects, it’s important to gut-load them. Gut-loading means feeding the insects a nutrient-rich diet before offering them to your dragon. This can be achieved by feeding them a variety of dark leafy greens, vegetables, and fruits at least 24 hours prior to feeding them to your pet.
In addition to gut-loading, dusting insects with calcium is essential to the health of your dragon. Dust the insects with calcium before offering them to your dragon. To dust insects quickly and efficiently, place insects in a bag or disposable plastic container along with a powdered supplement.
Ensuring Food Safety
Always make sure your Chinese water dragon’s food source is healthy. Purchasing feeder insects and mice from a pet store or pet supply, or raising them yourself, is the best way to keep your dragon from contracting internal parasite infections. Never feed a water dragon insects, worms, or mice found in the wild, as they may carry parasites or other infectious organisms that can make a water dragon fatally ill.
Hydration
Proper hydration is just as important as a balanced diet. Chinese water dragons love water and should have access to fresh, clean water at all times. Providing a small pool (or large water bowl) inside your dragon’s enclosure will ensure that it is able to take care of its physical and mental needs.
Health Considerations Related to Diet
Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)
Metabolic Bone Disease, also known as MBD, is an extremely serious and often fatal disease for these animals. It is caused either by a lack of calcium in the dragon’s diet or inadequate exposure to UVB light. Signs that your dragon may have contracted MBD include twitching, lethargy, fractured bones, muscle spasms, and swelling of the legs or back. The best solution for MBD is prevention; usually all it takes is to dust every other meal with calcium powder and to always provide exposure to sunlight and/or UVB light.
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Obesity
Overfeeding can lead to obesity, which can cause various health problems. Monitor your dragon’s weight and adjust the portion sizes accordingly.
Creating the Ideal Habitat
In addition to a proper diet, maintaining the correct habitat is crucial for the health and well-being of Chinese water dragons.
Enclosure Size and Setup
The minimum size tank for a single dragon is 75 gallons (285 liters), though larger is recommended. If you will be keeping multiple dragons, your cage should be at least 4 feet (1.22 m) in length and 5-6 feet (1.5 - 1.8 m) tall. They like tall enclosures and the default recommendation for adults is 6ft x 4ft x 3 ft. Depending on climbing area and ground area you could go less though. A tall, vertically oriented habitat is necessary so they can climb and exercise comfortably.
Temperature and Humidity
Chinese Water Dragons are well adapted to life in warm, humid environments. Keep the humidity around 80%. The ideal basking temperature for a water dragon’s habitat is 95-100 F during the day, with cool zone temperatures set to 80-85 F. At nighttime, temperatures should not fall below 75 F. As a tropical species, water dragons need moderately high humidity in their environment to stay hydrated, support their respiratory systems, and encourage healthy shed cycles.
Substrate and Furnishings
When it comes to choosing a substrate, keep in mind that you’ll need to regularly clean and replace it, so choose accordingly. There are a variety of appropriate materials, including mulch, wood chippings/shavings, and newspaper. Water dragons need a substrate, such as sphagnum moss, coconut fiber, or orchid bark, that can hold moisture well. Gravel, wood chips, and walnut shells should be avoided.
As for furnishings, Chinese water dragons are arboreal and love climbing and hiding in trees and plants. You can mimic this with logs and tree branches, living or artificial plants for climbing, and rock caves for hiding. Choose “caves” that are big enough for the dragon to fit its body within.
Lighting
Pet parents should shine a full-spectrum UV light on their water dragon’s habitat for 10-12 hours each day. Lizards need daily exposure to UVB rays so they can produce vitamin D in their skin, which allows them to absorb dietary calcium. UV lights should be changed every 6-12 months.
Water Source
Since reptiles absorb water through their skin, be sure the bowl is large enough for the lizard to soak in. A waterfall or air bubbler can be placed inside of a water dragon’s water bowl.
Maintenance
You should spot-clean your water dragon’s habitat daily, removing any soiled material and discarded food. A water dragon’s habitat must be disinfected and cleaned thoroughly at least once a week (or more often if more than one water dragon lives in the same habitat).
Health Issues in Chinese Water Dragons
Mouth Rot
Mouth rot is one of the most common health problems and is typically the result of a secondary infection that isn’t treated properly, or an injury that goes untreated. Water dragons often rub or bang their head/nose/chin into the walls of the enclosure. This behavior commonly causes rub sores that can lead to full mouth rot. Signs that your Chinese water dragon may have mouth rot are swelling around the mouth, open ulcers at the mouth or nose, and white curd-like secretions around the mouth.
Parasites
When Chinese Water Dragons become stressed it’s easy for parasites to multiply beyond the capability of the dragon’s body to handle. The only way to tell what kind of parasites your dragon has is to see your vet for a fecal exam.
Bacterial and Fungal Infections
Bacterial and fungal infections are usually a result of a dirty, poorly maintained cage. They appear as dark-colored patches on the skin that can be raised and/or filled with fluid.
Dystocia
Female dragons lay eggs even if they haven’t mated with males. Occasionally, a condition called dystocia or “egg binding,” may occur. Dystocia is a life-threatening condition in which the dragon is unable to pass her eggs.