What are Chinese Water Dragons?
A Chinese water dragon is also called Asian water dragons or green
water dragons. Some people also call it as Thai water dragons. What is
in a name? These various names are used to identify a particular species
of dragons. The scientific name is a bit difficult to pronounce, its
Physignathus cocincinus.
This is an interesting species to the reptile lovers. Many people
keep these entertaining organisms in their house as pets.
Colorful Chinese water dragons:
The Chinese water dragons are generally found in shades of green. It may
be light green or dark green. Diagonal stripes can also be located on
their bodies. The throat is the most colorful part of a water dragon.
Chinese water dragons having yellow, orange or peach colored throats are
not that difficult to find. Sometimes there are stunning stripes on the
throat too instead of a single color. The inside of these reptiles are
coated with pale shades. Some common colors are pale yellow, off white,
pale yellow or very pale green. The tail can be colored too. They can be
striped or can be banded with pastel shades.
Size of the Chinese water dragons
The Males and the females are of different sizes. The males may be three
feet long but the females are never longer than two feet. The head of a
male Chinese water dragon looks almost like a triangle. The crest is
also bigger in the case of a male adult Chinese water dragon. The tail
is the most important part of their bodies. It is almost more than half
the size of the body. The tail assists them in swimming. Reptiles use it
to protect themselves too.
Where are they found?
The continent of Asia boasts of having these reptiles in abundance. The
reptiles are found in highland and lowland forests of India, China, and
Southeastern Asia etc. You can be sure to find them near freshwater
lakes. Look for them in the trees during the day. They generally thrive
there. They have a magnificent characteristic. They can remain submerged
under water for more than twenty minutes. They generally do so when they
feel they are in some kind of danger. They can swim and so the reptiles
choose water as the safest place to hide.
The third eye of the Chinese water dragons
Many water dragons have this special feature. They have a photosensitive
spot just between their two eyes. This spot helps them to understand the
differences of light. They realize it is day or night because of the
spot. These reptiles generally like basking under the sun. They run to
their shelters as the sun goes down. The spot or the pineal gland (more
appropriately) makes them alert. The gland can also signal them to hide
instantly. Thus they are able to protect themselves from birds or other
aerial predators.
Life span of these reptiles
A Chinese water dragon can live up to twenty years. They have a life
span of ten to twenty years on an average.
These reptiles are known for their hardy nature. They don’t cause huge
problems to their owners. This is simply so because they don’t need much
care. They make lovely pets and your kids will just adore them when
these colorful creatures will start crawling on their little fingers.
But before you keep them as pets make sure you know everything about
them. These reptiles have specific diet requirements. You cannot expect
it to have a bite of sausage from your hand. The Chinese water dragon
needs a special home in your house if you have decided to keep it as a
pet.
So that is how a Chinese water dragon is.
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