The Chinese Water Dragons
Linga and Yoni, the scaley miracles
Linga and Yoni are Chinese Water Dragons, known as Green Water Dragons or Physignathus cocincinus. Chinese Water Dragons can be found in Southeast Asia, in Cambodia, Southern China, Thailand, and Vietnam. As babies they are cute little 1 inch hatchlings that within two years grow to be between 2 - 3 feet. Water Dragons can change their color in subtle ways, from being either a pale, light green to their healthy bright green colors or to a dark, dull brown shade. Water Dragons can live anywhere from 10 to 20 years. Due to their size and their arboreal nature, Water Dragons need large, tall enclosures. Ideally, they should be in an enclosure at least 6 feet high by 4 feet deep by 4 feet wide, preferably something somewhat larger.
Water Dragons eat mostly insects, some live prey items such as pinkies, and some dragons will even eat veggies. My dragons are very picky and only eat mealworms, waxworms, and every few days they are offered pinkies. Water Dragons can also eat earthworms, butterworms, grasshoppers, locusts, hissing cockroaches, silkworms, cicadas, and some eat small feeder fish such as goldfish. Mine simply LOVE the pupae that waxworms turn into if you leave them in the cup for too long, and I've seen them also go after the moths that the pupae become. All insects (and sometimes even the pinkies) should be dusted with calcium dust, as insects have a very low calcium - to - phosphorous ratio.
Water Dragons need daytime temperatures between 84 and 88 degrees, with a basking spot of about 90. Nighttime temperatures can drop to about 75 degrees, although it should not be much cooler than that. Water Dragons also need UVB lighting in order to process the calcium in their diet. The best source of this is natural, unfiltered sunlight, however in lieu of that flourescent lighting that puts out UVB rays is suitable. UVB lighting should be replaced at least once a year, preferably twice a year, as the lights stop emitting as much UVB rays after about 6 months, and while they still put out light, completely stop producing UVB after a year. Without UVB lighting Water Dragons will eventually develop Metabolic Bone Disease, a very nasty disease I recommend you learn about before getting a dragon.
Water Dragons also require lots and lots of water. Most Water Dragons simply LOVE to get soaked, and need a water area big enough to fit their whole bodies and deep enough to submerge at least half of their bodies. Their water has to be changed daily, especially in the case of mine, as they are very fond of using their water dish as a litterbox.
I recieved Linga and Yoni from a woman who'd rescued them in September. She had rescued them from a family that was keeping them in a wire rabbit hutch outside, with no heating and no food except for lettuce and carrots. I had spoken to her for about a month about their care when in November, she brought them to the store and told me she had to leave the country on a family emergency, and asked if I could take them. After seeing them, I couldn't say no, and once I got off work that night I went up to her house and picked up the cage and accessories she had for them. Their improvement since I took them in has been remarkable. At this point it's simply sitting back and waiting for the worst injuries to finish scarring over.
Yoni, November 17th, one day after I took them in.
Yoni now, in January, 2007:
She darkens considerably when I have her outside basking. She's also going into shed in most of these pictures, so she's extremely dull.
Here y ou can see how comfortable she is about hanging out on various body parts.
She is very fond of "lounging" on just about anything - my hand, for instance.
Linga was by far the worse looking of the two dragons.
Linga on November 17th, 2006
As you can see, she rubbed her nose on the wire of the cage so much that she rubbed it right down to the bone.
Unfortunately this picture is not very good, it was hard convincing her to stay still long enough for a picture. You get the idea of how awful her nose looked, though.
Linga as of January, 2007
Linga is quite the character. I'm pretty sure she thinks that is HER sink.
She also gets very dark when she's outside basking. Note the Glare of Death I am receiving for having moved her from her perch on my knee.
Linga will play King (or Queen) of the Mountain on just about anything high enough off the ground. Like my arm.
