Your Top Chinese Water Dragon Questions, Answered.
Chinese Water Dragons are a popular choice for reptile enthusiasts worldwide due to their friendly nature and unique appearance. However, many new owners may have questions about how to properly care for them, including the right size of their enclosure, their diet, and more. In this article, we'll answer some common questions about Chinese Water Dragons, such as the proper enclosure size, suitable décor options, their proper diets, and much more! Whether you own a Chinese Water Dragon or just starting out, this guide will give you valuable information to take care of your Chinese Water Dragon properly.
How to Tell the Sex of Your Chinese Water Dragon?
Male Chinese Water Dragons reach much larger size than females (up to 36”), with brighter coloration, larger dorsal spines, and large jowls. Females tend to stay smaller, more dull in color, and smaller dorsal spines.
How Big Do Chinese Water Dragons Get?
Male Chinese Water Dragons can reach up to 36” in length, and females are considerably smaller than males. More than 70% of their length is their tail.
What’s the Proper Enclosure Size for a Chinese Water Dragon?
The minimum enclosure size for a single Chinese Water Dragon is 6’ x 3’ x 6’ with larger being highly recommended. These lizards are arboreal and extremely active. They require a large pool of water to swim and branches to climb. Watch our full reptile room renovation video, where we upgraded our Chinese Water Dragon to a massive new reptile terrarium!
What’s The Best Décor Options For Chinese Water Dragons?
Emzotic was able to help answer this question for us! Be sure to check out our Chinese Water Dragon Complete Substrate guide for all your substrate questions answered for Chinese Water Dragons.
“As their name suggests, the Chinese Water Dragon benefits greatly from the presence of water. In order to meet their needs, I would highly suggest that potential keepers invest in an enclosure which can hold the weight of a filtered aquarium that is large enough for a lizard to fully submerge itself in, and deep enough that the Dragon won’t injure itself when diving into the water.”
How Long Do Chinese Water Dragons Live?
Chinese Water Dragons can live 10-15 years with proper care.
Can Chinese Water Dragons Live Together?
No, it is not recommended to house Chinese Water Dragons together. Although small groups of one male and two females have been successfully kept for temporary breeding purposes, the minimum enclosure size increases exponentially with each animal, which is not realistic for pet keepers. These animals are solitary and generally prefer to live alone.
What Do Chinese Water Dragons Eat?
Chinese Water Dragons are primarily insectivorous, meaning their nutrition comes primarily from insects. They also eat a variety of vegetables, fruits, and small animals.
To learn more about a Chinese Water Dragon’s diet, check out our Complete Chinese Water Dragon Diet Guide!
Do Chinese Water Dragons Need UVB Light?
Yes! Chinese Water Dragons are diurnal which means they are most active during the day. In the wild they spend a large portion of their time basking in the sun and swimming and receive a considerable amount of exposure to the sun’s rays. They require a strong high output UVB light and a bright LED full spectrum light to simulate full sun basking.
To learn more about Chinese Water Dragon lighting, check out our Complete Chinese Water Dragon Lighting Guide.
