What to feed baby water dragons
Baby Chinese Water Dragon Care: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide
Chinese water dragons are Chinese and Southeast Asia lizards.
These green dragons have white markings on the lower jaw with fine lines running along the tail. They are distinguished by their large spines which run along the crest of the head, spine, and tail.
They are popular pets and can be interesting and fun to watch.
If you are thinking of welcoming a new baby Chinese water dragon into your home or you have recently purchased a baby dragon, then continue reading for detailed information to care for your new reptilian pet.
Are Baby Chinese Water Dragons Good Pets?The first question most potential reptile owners have is whether the Chinese water dragon will make a good pet.
They do make beautiful pets, but they have very specific care needs. These are exotic lizards and while they are small at juvenile size, they can grow large.
They do take some time to tame, so it will need some patience. Once your dragon is tamed, they can make great beginner pets.
They are very intelligent, but handling should be limited until they get used to you, even though a baby Chinese water dragon will not bite.
Proceed slowly and you can have a great pet that you can enjoy for years to come.
| Baby Chinese Water Dragon Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
Common Name | Chinese water dragon |
Scientific Name | Physignathus cocincinus |
Baby Size | 5″ – 6″ |
Adult Size | Male: 22″ – 28″ Female: 22″ – 26″ |
Lifespan | 10 – 15 years |
Tank Size | Baby: 55 – 75 gallon Adult male: 4ft x 3ft x 6ft Adult female: 3ft x 2ft x 5ft |
Humidity | 80% |
Heating | 85ºF – 100ºF |
Substrate | Coconut fiber |
Diet | Insects, vegetables, and fruits |
Supplement | Calcium and multivitamin |
Preparing to bring your baby Chinese water dragon home means setting up their enclosure to achieve the most hospitable habitat that will meet your dragon’s tropical needs with confidence.
Housing
Note that in the wild, your baby Chinese water dragon would spend a lot of time in trees, being above ground, which means when putting their enclosure together you want to take careful note of size to ensure you can accommodate the size and needs of your new Chinese water dragon.
A 36” x 18” x 24” should be big enough for the first six months of your dragon’s life, then you will want to increase the size to allow your dragon to move with ease and comfort.
Your Chinese water dragon will outgrow its enclosure, you cannot stunt its size by keeping it in a smaller tank.
Adult dragons will need a minimum enclosure of 4 feet x 3 feet x 6 feet for male and 3feet x 2feet x 5feet for female.
An important part of your enclosure set up is the substrate that you choose. Remember you are looking for a substrate that will hold humidity, such as coconut fibers.
Add a water bowl, this also helps to keep humidity levels high but is not uncommon for dragons to use it as the bathroom.
Remember to keep the water clean and change it frequently as a result.
Related –Chinese water dragon growth chart.
Lighting and Temperature
Your Chinese water dragon is native to a tropical climate, which means warmth and sunshine.
When you set up the enclosure you are going to want to create a warm/basking side to the enclosure and then a cool side, enabling your Chinese water dragon to regulate its temperature with ease.
Temperatures should be set as follows:
- Basking area – 90ºF to 100ºF
- Ambient and cool temperature – 75ºF and 80ºF
- Nighttime temperatures – above 75ºF
Ensure you use a good quality digital thermometer to easily and accurately monitor your temperature levels.
You are also going to want to provide your Chinese water dragon with imitation sunshine, which comes as a UVB bulb. This helps your dragon absorb calcium and reduce the risk of metabolic bone disease.
It is not recommended to use heat rocks with Chinese water dragons as they are used to getting their heat from above, therefore a heat rock can result in serious burns.
Humidity
Being a tropical lizard, your Chinese water dragon is going to have very specific humidity requirements.
These lizards require 80% humidity, which can be difficult to attain without adding the proper substrate, a large freshwater dish, and regular misting.
Provide your dragon with a water dish which is big enough to swim in and don’t get worried, they can hold their breath for a long time and often sleep underwater.
Using a good quality substrate that can hold humidity can help to maintain the high eighty percent humidity levels within the enclosure.
You can also mist the enclosure, remember not to soak it, you want to dampen the substrate and any leaves and plants you may have in the enclosure.
Related – How to maintain high humidity levels in Chinese water dragon terrariums without mold.
Baby Chinese Water Dragon Diet and SupplementsFood List
Chinese water dragons are omnivorous and will eat vegetables, insects, and fruits.
When they are older, you can even feed them pinky or fuzzy mice.
Baby Chinese water dragons need more insects than fruits and vegetables, so ensure that at least 85% of their diet is insects and whole prey until they are at least a year of age. From here you can feed up to 60% insects and 30% worms.
You can feed 15% of their diet in vegetables and greens and up to 5% percent in fruit. Mice should only be given once to twice per month once your dragon is big enough to eat a mouse of that size.
Supplements
Calcium supplements are essential for baby Chinese water dragons to ensure that they develop strong and healthy bones.
Your dragon should be fed “gut loaded” insects to achieve the best results. Gut loading involves feeding insects a high calcium diet for a few days before feeding your dragon.
Alternatively, you can dust the insects in calcium supplements before feeding. This is often the preferred method.
Simply place insects in a plastic bag, add some supplement powder, give it a good shake and then feed.
Ensure you also provide a multivitamin once a week.
Feeding Guide
Your baby Chinese water dragon is going to eat more now than it will when it gets older.
Babies should be fed daily until they are around six months of age, thereafter they should be fed every two days. Once they reach eighteen months you can feed every two to three days.
If you are worried that your Chinese water dragon is underweight, then you can feed more to try and increase weight. Be careful and only do this with a vets agreement.
It’s recommended to feed after the lights are out. Wait a few hours and then feed, this will ensure your dragon digests the food during the day.
Why Is My Baby Chinese Water Dragon Not Eating?Temperature too Low
One of the most common reasons your baby Chinese water dragon may not be eating is because the enclosure temperature is too low, which is causing stress.
Low temperatures will make digestion hard for your dragon.
Ensure you provide a basking platform with lower temperatures below to ensure that your dragon can get out of the heat quickly when they need to regulate their temperature.
Place a digital thermometer in the enclosure to ensure you can quickly and accurately identify the temperature.
Temperatures too High
Appetite loss can result when the temperatures are too low, but high temperatures can also result in a lack of appetite. High temperatures can be dangerous to your Chinese water dragon.
Ensure your basking area is no hotter than 100ºF. When basking areas are too high you may notice your dragon avoiding the area or digging close to the area to escape the heat. High temperatures can result in weakness and even death.
Monitor regularly using a digital thermometer with a probe, enabling you to measure the temperature anywhere in the enclosure.
Impaction
Chinese water dragons are going to stop eating if they are impacted. Impacted is constipated and often results from your dragon eating some substrate when capturing their prey.
Some Chinese water dragon owners feed their dragons in a separate container to reduce the risk of this happening.
You can also choose your substrate with care to ensure that it isn’t small enough for your dragon to ingest.
Impaction can also be caused by feeding insects that are too large for your baby dragon.
Stressed
When you first bring your new baby Chinese water dragon into your home, you are also moving it to a new enclosure, a place it doesn’t know.
Dragons can take a few weeks to settle into their new homes. Give your dragon a few days to settle in before you start trying to handle it, you don’t want to add to the stress.
Continue offering food, but remove uneaten food until your dragon is ready to eat again.
Fussy Eater
It’s a fact that some Chinese water dragons can be fussy when it comes to their food.
They should be offered a wide variety of foods as they get older adding insects, worms, veggies, greens, and fruit into their diet.
What Can Chinese Water Dragons Eat?
The Chinese water dragon is a popular choice for a pet within the reptile community. Still, their advanced care level makes them not as popular for beginners, who favor something easier like the bearded dragon, yet they are still a rewarding and entertaining animal. As omnivorous reptiles, their primary diet is protein in the form of insects, and small prey animals, a small portion of their diet are also fruits and vegetables, which makes up only ten to fifteen percent of their overall menu. All the aspects of their diet will be covered in this article.
With any animal that you choose to take on as a pet, you have a responsibility to select the correct feeders that will enable them to grow, be happy, healthy, and have a long life. Many aspects need to be considered when selecting the variety of feeders on offer for your pet water dragon. Sufficient protein and calcium must be given, as well as a balanced range of other vitamins and minerals; as an animal that's in captivity, water dragons are known to pretty much eat whatever you will put in front of them.
Water dragons are known to get tired of the same food always. Offering them the same feeders for weeks on end can cause them to become bored, and they will lose their appetite. Changing up their diet, so they have a choice, it is vital to keep them interested in eating.
We will be covering the various options available that will help keep your Chinese Water Dragon excited. A limited part of their diet can consist of small prey items, as previously mentioned; these usually take the form of pinkie mice, but they should not be given to your pet as a regular staple but more as a rare treat. They are high in fat but a good source of protein and calcium, yet due to their size and consistency, they can be hard for your Chinese Water Dragon to digest. Read on for more information on what you should feed your Chinese Water Dragon.
What Insects Should A Chinese Water Dragon Eat?
Chinese Water Dragons need a diverse range of feeders on offer; the majority of their menu consists of insects, but what insects should you be feeding your pet? Below is a comprehensive list of insects that can be offered to your Chinese Water Dragon.
Staples (daily feeders):
- Dubia Roaches
- Hornworms
- Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Nutrigrubs)
- Butterworms
- Crickets
- Silkworms
- Other Roaches (Discoid, Turkestan, orange head)
- Earthworm
Treats (1-2 times per week):
- Superworms (high in fat)
- Mealworms (hard chitin which makes them difficult to digest
- King worms
- Waxworms (very high in fat)
Every meal, regardless of the age of your Water Dragon, should consist of at least three to four different feeder insects.
You should never feed wild-caught insects to your pet; these can be contaminated with pesticides, or carry parasites and diseases that will harm your dragon. Always source your feeder insects from a reputable supplier.
Small Game, Mice, and Fish
Chinese water dragons are able to consume small prey items like pinkie mice, you may hear of "feeder lizards" being advocated as an optional feeder, but this isn't a necessary part of their diet and is up to you if you wish to incorporate them.
Pinkie mice need to be newborn because they have yet to grow any bones or hair that your pet will find difficult to digest, you can purchase these from feeder insect suppliers and pet stores frozen., but you don't need to feed them other lizards. Pinkie mice can be a great source of protein and calcium, particularly if your pet is sick and needs a boost, but in general, it should not be fed more than once every one or two weeks.
Another optional feeder for your water dragon are snails and mollusks, they can even eat crustaceans such as crab meat and small feeder fish, but there is not much information on how much of these they actually need in their diet since they do not consume them in the wild, but generally, these can be fed like pinkie mice as in once every one or two weeks but be careful when doing so as these can contain parasites.
What Vegetables Does A Chinese Water Dragon Eat
Fruits and vegetables do need to be offered to your Chinese Water Dragon, although some seem to be able to live without eating them, it is still essential to provide them with to to your pet.
However, it should only make up around ten to fifteen percent of their diet. You should always ensure that you gut-load your feeder insects with vegetables that you would feed your water dragon. Alternatively, you can gut-load them with pre-prepared commercial products made for this purpose; you can buy these here.
Staples 10% of diet):
- Basil
- Bok choy
- Butternut Squash
- Chicory
- Collard greens
- Coriander
- Dandelion flowers and greens
- Endive
- Escarole
- Fresh alfalfa (not dried)
- Hibiscus (Flowers)
- Hibiscus (Leaves)
- Mint
- Mustard greens
- Nasturtium
- Peppermint
- Prickly pear
- Rosemary
- Spaghetti squash
- Turnip greens
Occasional (5% of diet):
- Acorn Squash
- Bell Peppers
- Scallop, Hubbard, Acorn squash
- Watercress
- Rocket
- Pumpkin
- Bell peppers
- Chickpeas, pinto, or green beans (canned in water or fresh)
How Often Should Water Dragons Eat?
The age of your Chinese water dragon determines how much they need to eat every feeding.
Baby dragons need feeding daily, and their food must be cut up into small pieces, the size of their feeder insects also needs to be small sizes, to enable them to be able to eat and digest. As they age and reach the juvenile stage, they still need to be provided food daily, but the side of their fruit and veggies needs to be bigger, and they can be fed medium insects. When they reach the adult stage, they only need to be fed every two days but can have their fruits and veggies cut up into larger chunks and can now be offered large insects and the occasional small prey item. Water must be provided in a bowl in their tank for hydration at all times and must be cleaned and replaced daily, but sometimes they will not drink out of a container and can be offered water with a dropper or spray bottle.
Supplementation
One of the other most important aspects of their diet are supplements. They need three different types; a calcium powder supplement, calcium powder with D3, and a multivitamin powder.
These need to be rotated, but only need one of their meals dusted per day, with one of the different supplements. Babies and juveniles need three dustings a week of just calcium powder, two dustings a week of the calcium powder plus D3, and one dusting per week of the multivitamin powder, then one day with no supplements at all. At adults stage, they only need one dusting of the calcium powder per week, then one dusting of the calcium plus D3 powder per week and one dusting of the multivitamin powder per week. You don't want to dust their feeders too heavily, just a light pinch will do, or your risk over-supplementation. You can buy the supplements here.
How to care for a Chinese water dragon
Natalia | January 17, 2022 | Veterinary | No comments
Chinese water dragons are very similar to small iguanas and spend a lot of time swimming. They are popular pet reptiles due to their smaller size, but their grooming needs are more intense than most people expect.
What is a water dragon?
The water dragon is a breed of lizard found in southern China and Southeast Asia, with some species native to Australia. These lizards can be raised as pets, and Chinese water dragons are known for their generally friendly dispositions and habits such as standing on their hind legs, head nodding, and skilful climbing.
Chinese water dragons range in color from dark to light green. They have vertical oblique stripes of green or turquoise on their bodies. Their bellies are white or pale yellow, and their throats are a mixture of yellow, orange, and peach. The long tail is narrow with stripes of green and brown. Adult males have larger heads than females and develop larger ridges on the back of the head and neck.
COMMON NAMES: Chinese water dragon, water dragon, green water dragon, Asian water dragon and Thai water dragon (not to be confused with Australian water dragon).
SCIENTIFIC NAME of the Chinese water dragon:
Physignathus cocincinus .
Adult male Chinese water dragons reach about 3 feet, while females average 2 feet in length; most of the total length is the tail.
The Chinese water dragon has a lifespan of 14 to 16 years, although some have lived in captivity for over 20 years.
- DIFFICULTY OF CARE: Difficult. These lizards have very specific care requirements.
Behavior and temperament of the Chinese water dragon
These lizards are one of the friendliest species. As a rule, they like to be picked up. Regular handling is necessary so that they do not become too aggressive.
If the Chinese water dragon is frightened or feels threatened, it may bite or lash itself with its tail. They are quite active in their environment and like to climb rocks, trees, branches or plants. They are also good swimmers and enjoy having water in their enclosure. Chinese water dragons are social animals. They tend to thrive in captivity in pairs or groups. This is recommended, especially since owning more than one Chinese water dragon does not require much work (or cost).
Chinese water dragon home
Water dragons need large enclosures, and the minimum size of an adult dragon is 5 or 6 feet long, 2 or 3 feet deep, and 5 or 6 feet high. A case of this size will most likely have to be custom-made, and it will be expensive.
If you don't know the exact gender of your dragons, you might be better off having just one, though it can be lonely. A male/female pair will likely get along, while two males and even two females may be aggressive unless given plenty of space in a very large enclosure. Large aquariums are often used, but they are not ideal.
For the aquarium substrate, choose something that will not cause damage if swallowed. Sterilized potting soil (no vermiculite or chemicals) covered with sphagnum moss (good for moisturizing) plus a mixture of peat, potting soil, cypress soil and mulch, indoor/outdoor carpeting, or paper. It is necessary to provide a lot of branches so that they can climb and bask (place some diagonally, and some horizontally to bask).
Live plants such as pothos, dracaena, hibiscus, ficus, and deer horn ferns make good additions.
Humidity
In the environment, Chinese water dragons need a good pool of water. It should be large and deep enough for the dragon to sink to at least half its height. A cat litter tray works great, but if you can, you should set aside half of the terrarium for water and the other half as a beach area (using substrates to create a bank). You should be able to remove and clean the water tub daily, especially if your dragon uses it as a toilet. Otherwise, you will need a quality water filter. Humidity should be maintained at around 80 percent; It is wise to use a digital hydrometer to find out the humidity of the case. Spray the hull once or twice a day as needed. Live potted plants can also help retain moisture.
Heat and lighting
Daytime temperatures should be between 26 and 31 degrees Celsius, with a bathing area of 35 degrees Celsius. Temperatures can safely drop to 24-27 degrees Celsius at night.
There should be a temperature gradient, and be sure to measure the temperature on both the cool and warm sides.
A combination of a heat lamp, a ceramic heating element, under-tank heating plates and heating tape can be used to achieve this gradient. The summer light cycle for your water dragon should be 12-13 hours, and the winter 11-12 hours per day. It is important for your water dragon's bone health to maintain daily exposure to UBV and to ensure that nothing in its environment is blocking the light.
Food and water
You can feed your Chinese water dragon crickets, mealworms, waxworms, earthworms, grasshoppers, oil worms, locusts and possibly small forage fish. Adults can also occasionally be fed pinkies and fluffies. All prey insects should be gut-loaded and fed only every two to four weeks, not every day.
It is best to avoid wild-caught insects due to the risk of pesticides, and always avoid fireflies as they are potentially toxic.
Small amounts (10-15 percent of the diet) of finely chopped vegetables and fruits may also be offered.
Try kale, dandelion, and mustard greens, as well as sweet potatoes, parsnips, green beans, carrots, and yellow or orange squash. Fruits should be consumed in smaller quantities than vegetables; try strawberries, raspberries, mangoes, papaya, figs and melons.
Chicks and juveniles should be fed every other day, while adults can usually be fed two to three times a week. The best way to determine how much to feed is to look at body condition: skinny dragons need more food, plump ones need less. Offer whole loot every two to four weeks.
Add calcium/vitamin D3 to food at every second feeding, and a multivitamin/mineral supplement once a week. Don't give calcium on the same day, give a multivitamin.
General Health Problems
Chinese water dragons have several common health problems, including:
- Mouth rot: This is the most common problem and is the result of improperly treated infection or injury. The water dragon often rubs or bangs its head, nose, or chin against the walls of the enclosure.
This behavior can chafe the sores, which can lead to complete mouth rot. Look for swelling around the mouth or open sores in the mouth or nose. Lack of food is also a possible sign of mouth rot. - Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD): This often fatal condition is caused by a lack of calcium in the dragon's diet or inadequate UV exposure.
- Skin infections and parasites. Skin infections occur on the outside of the body and are usually the result of a dirty cell that contains bad. Parasites occur inside the body. Both must be diagnosed by a veterinarian.
- Dystocia (or "egg binding"): females lay eggs even if they have not mated with a male. Sometimes the egg can get stuck inside the body. Contact your veterinarian immediately if you think you have an egg stuck in your dragon's body.
Please note that taking good care of your Chinese Water Dragon is the key to keeping it healthy.
About the author
Natalia
There are many formidable, kind and funny animals in the world.
Everyone goes their own way, some with people, and some without them. Our cats and dogs have become family members. We separate their fights, give them our caresses. And in return with love, we receive this devotion in everything. With respect and love!
What and how to feed a lizard at home
Library / Reptiles / Nutrition / What to feed a lizard
Lizards are conditionally divided into 3 groups: carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores. The diet of the lizard is made up depending on the type and individual needs of the reptile.
Animal food for lizards
Since most lizards are still predators in their natural environment, the lion's share of their diet is live food. Often, reptiles are fed crickets, flies, bloodworms, grasshoppers, locusts, earthworms. Larger lizards are given mice, small rats and other rodents. You can also occasionally feed your pets with small or chopped fish, lean raw boneless meat, bird eggs.
Cottage cheese is given as feed additives: it is left in feeders or laid out on stones and branches (for individuals who do not like to go down to the ground).
It is best to feed live food with tweezers, otherwise the insects will scatter around the terrarium. It is not recommended to feed cockroaches, except perhaps American ones, but they are mobile and fast, so their paws are often torn off before feeding. Meal worms are also useful, they do not feed lizards with beetles, because they have a hard shell. It is recommended to crush the head of the mealworm with tweezers, as it has strong jaws and can damage the mucous membranes. Some species of reptiles also eat adult May beetles. Large lizards also eat newly hatched chicks.
Vegetable food for lizards
About a third of a lizard's diet is vegetable food. You can offer your pet greens - lettuce, parsley, plantain, spinach, clover, dandelion and more. They eat well reptiles and pieces of vegetables - cabbage, broccoli, zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, sometimes you can give raw potatoes.
From fruits, you can give apples, pears, melons, grapes, citrus fruits - experimentally, you can find out which ones your pet likes best.
Vitamin and mineral supplements can be mixed into food: for example, added to fruits or porridge with insects. It is also useful for the lizard to give crushed eggshells, calcium glycerophosphate tablets, chalk, reptile preparations.
How to feed a lizard?
The most convenient way to feed herbal food is from Petri dish type feeders. Young lizards are fed 2 times a day, adults have enough one-time feeding. You need to give food at a time when the pet is most active (there are day and night lizards). After the reptile has eaten, the remnants of food are removed. The terrarium must have a drinking bowl. However, many species of reptiles prefer to lick drops of water from plants, so you need to spray the terrarium regularly.
Juveniles are fed with tweezers for the first time, adult food is placed in the feeder.
