Chinese water dragons are well-known for their appealing personalities. They are familiar as Physignathus cocincinus in the scientific discipline. Water dragons are native to the rain forests of the Southeast Asia. You can find these attractive lizards near lakes and streams in Thailand, Southern China, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Chinese water dragons are largely arboreal, which means they love to play with the branches of trees and bushes. These lizards are also seen to swim occasionally and are good swimmers. Chinese water dragons use their long, flattened tail to move swiftly on the surface of water. Although they love to stay moist, water dragons are also seen to live in sandy burrows.
When out in the wild, Chinese water dragons are not as calm and docile as you would expect them to be. Unfortunately, these dragons are stolen from their natural habitat and then sold to pet lovers around the world. Lizards that are captured from the wild are more aggressive and don’t make good pets. They also remain stressed and there are chances that these pets do not stay healthy.
You should prefer buying pets bred in captivity as they can be kept and maintained more easily. Picking up dragons from the wild also has a risk that these exotic species can soon become extinct.
Chinese water dragons normally are found near water banks. They spend most of their daytime climbing around trees and branches. The special third eye found between the dragon eyes helps it run to safety when there is a risk of predation from other animals in the wild.
Whenever water dragons feel threatened, they can move down the trees and jump to a safer area. At times dragon also swims away and can remain submerged for as long as 25 minutes. A tail whip is also an interesting mode of defense for water dragons. A light tail whip can be used by a water dragon to scare away the predator. This phenomenon is also adopted by dragons that are kept in captivity.
Being native to the tropical rain forests, Chinese water dragons do well in areas that have high humidity and warm temperatures. Fresh vegetation, small insects and fish are the most popular snacks of water dragons in the wild. Normally, water dragons hide beneath leaves or go back into shelter as night approaches. It is also seen that the water dragons change their color to match the color of the surroundings.
