I have been looking at Chinese Water Lizards and Beareded dragons. I can't find anything much about the personality of the Water Dragon but from what i hear they are very similar to the Bearded Dragon. Any truth to that? I see alot of picture of people and thier Water Dragons "hanging out" and have even seen pic of people walking the Water Dragon on a leash.
What i have read about the bearded dragon is that they are very chill but like to snoop around in new places and check things out.
So I guess the question(s) is/are:
-Personality of Water/Bearded Dragon (and difference in sexes)?
-What would be the better "starter" lizard (I dont mean for practice and I am more than willing to put in the time and effort to care for my pet (I have been raising dogs and birds for more than 10 years)?
-Any and all tips?
-GREAT links?
-Finally...I have read about keeping Basilisks as pets but cant find much about thier personallities online, anyone know anything?
Thanks!
Answers:
Bearded Dragons (BDs) differ from Water Dragons (CWD's) in several of their requirements. Firstly, BDs are desert species that need dry desert conditions, unlike CWDs who need tropical (i.e. warm, but humid) habitats. CWDs will need a large bath in which to bathe and defaecate. BDs need a bowl of water but will not swim.
CWD require a vivarium (not aquarium as glass sides are unsuitable %26 will lead to stress/snout damage) which is taller, with plenty of branches and area to climb about in. BDs on the other hand, need a large floor space, but do not climb as much, (in fact, they can injure themselves if they fall from heights whereas CWDs are more robust, having a collapsible rib cage to protect from such mishaps).
Both types of lizards prefer company of fellow lizards. It is usual to keep 1 or 2 (or more) females with one male. Two males together of either species is not advised as they will likely fight until one or other is dead.
I personally keep Water dragons myself, having 4 females and a male in one large Viv (6ft long, 4ft high and 3ft deep). I also have one Australian male water dragon his viv is 3ft x 3ft x 3ft. Ideally, he requires a larger viv when we have room, however all my water dragons have the run of the house at various times when I am home, so he's more than happy at the mo.
A trio of BDs would require a 3ft x 4ft x 2ft high viv or larger.
However, some CWDs can be skittish and have problems and damage due to their highly active lifestyles. It's harder to really tame a CWD. BDs would be a much friendlier, easier lizard to start with. They are a nice size, easily handled as they don't run off and jump around like the CWDs. They are also much cheaper to feed as they eat lots of vegetables in their diet %26 a few live insects, whereas CWDs only eat live insects - I spend 拢40 a week feeding my lizards live bugs.
I have also spent about 拢2000 on vets bills over the past two years for various water dragons. btw vet 'insurance' for reptiles is only provided by one company called Exotic Direct, they have a bad reputation for not paying out on valid claims, I have first-hand experience of this, but also several reptile veterinary surgeries also agreed with me!
I hope this helps you make your decision.
Water dragons are VERY skittish creatures, my friend had one and it injured itself very badly trying to run away from him while he was feeding it, he is an experienced reptile handler so this was not caused by him. I would not recommend one as a beginner's lizard. Bearded dragons are a great idea as a beginner pet, however as they are pretty mild-tempered and take to handling well. I have one who is between 8-10 years old and he is a great pet, even for children, very calm.
Most female lizards are a bad idea, they are much more delicate than the male of the species and some require special care when they are of egg baring age, more hassle than they are worth.
I started collecting lizards about 2 years ago and have learned a lot since then, if you do some research before getting one it is a better idea. My best resource was kingsnake.com, they have forums and links to the best info out there. From my experiences, here is how I rate my lizards:
Bearded Dragon: Easy and fun, eats readily and got BIG fast! If you like to feed live pinky's and such then this is your lizard.
Frilled Dragon: Fun at first, as he gets older he is SO moody and threatens to bite! (but never has).
Veiled Chameleon: Hissing, biting jerk that you can't handle. Painful bite!!
Mali Uromastyx: Sweet, curious lizard, eats mostly veggies, a little shy but fun over all. Never bites, eats from my hand.
***Also, no matter what anyone says do NOT ever house 2 species of lizards together EVER, it is a recipe for disaster. It is a bad idea to house 2 reptiles of the same species together for long periods of time as well, but NEVER EVER house 2 different one together.***
get the watter dragon lot easier to take care of .both are cool but for you 1st the water dragon. when you get one ask about how to care for it. then ask yourself am i up for the challenge
Chinese Water Dragons need large cages with water and alot of climbing places, and will rub their noses raw if they are unhappy in their tanks. They however have the good looks of an iguana without the bad temper and large size. This good nature makes them great pets, but due to the level of upkeep of housing, they may not be a good starter lizard.
Beardies are also for more experienced keepers, as they can be terratorial, and will fight in small enclosures if you have not had them sexed (males will fight with other males, and sometimes females will not tolerate each other, either). They also are easily stressed and this can effect their health. They are awesome lizards once you get some more experience!
I love both of these kinds of lizards, but based on their needing 40 gallon tanks or larger, you may want to start with my favorite lizards in the world-Leopard Geckos. I breed them, and they are the perfect pet for people like me who have kept reptiles all of their life because they are beautiful and come in all kinds of colors, and are easy to breed. You will love them becuase you can house a few females with a male together in a breeding colony in a relatively small tank-10-20 gallons for each lizard, and they are so easy to take care of! Plus they are good natured-hardly bite, will walk over to you at feeding time, and some people say that their leos crawl on their hand when they put it in their cage. They are also hardy and will often outlive your dogs and cats (up to 30 years)! So check them out and give them a try. Another great gecko similar to the leo, but you don't have to feed it insects is the Crested Gecko. I have one of these guys, too, and he's just as fun as my breeding colony of leos.
As your first reptile...You are better off going with the bearded dragon, they are easier to take care of for the most part and have better temperments towards people...and water dragons, need very large rather complicated cages...
Bearded Dragons...as long as you don't feed them food that is too big for them, you usually don't have problems...
Get a young one, so you can raise it to know you...only feed them cricktes that are about 1/3 the size of their head...you can give them veggies like romain lettuce, but they probably wont eat it...
They get used to people VERY quickly, and like to be handled...
Both sexes tend to have the same temperment..
They don't need that big of a habitat...40 gal tank would to a beardie just fine for life...
You don't have to worry about huidity...just make sure it stays worm enough...and give them a small sorce of water...
Water Dragons...
Need very large cages...they can get up to 3 feet long...they love to climb so they need a tall cage rather than long...
Many people end up getting a shower set up for them as adults...it makes for a nice sized cage...
They usually don't like to be handled...you have to be very slow and very calm when handleing them...they freak out EASY and are VERY FAST!!! Once they get out of your hands, it can take a hot minute to catch them...
Then require a lot of humidiy 65% or more...keeping humidiy up is a pain exspecially in a bigger cage...
They need a large water source...which has to be cleaned daily...they play in their water and make a BIG mess...if they water isn't clean it can make them sick...
Water Dragons are noctorious for nose bumping...they think they can run through anything...and pay for it...they can cause themselves major damage to their noses because of this, if it's not taken care of properly they can get sick and die form it...
Don't get me wrong...water dragons make pretty good pets, and they are beautiful...but they are not a good first reptile...
Bearded Dragons make a great first reptile with their easy temperment and simple living conditions...
Hope this helps...GOOD LUCK!!!
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