Water Dragon, but not the Chinese/Asian.........

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Posted by IGUANA JOE on January 24, 2003 at 21:22:52:

In Reply to: i need an honest opinion!! posted by evan on January 24, 2003 at 20:36:10:

Don't get me wrong, I love iguanas etc. but I think that water dragons are overall, a better pet.

The first and most obvious reason is size. A WD will average the 3 foot range, while an iguana can get over 4.5 feet and top at 7'! Easier to manage and house.

Second, WD have a more varied diet, which means you have a wider range of foods to offer, animal, plant and fruit matter.

Third, due to their smaller size, the animal is easier to manage, house, move, and control.

Fourth, WD's can be just as tame as iguanas, and males can become very colorfoul during mating season. So the eye-candy factor is the same or better (they are darn cute).

Now, there are some things to consider first.

Smaller does not necessarily mean easier to tame. They will bite and wip. Lots of TLC is required.
Smaller does not mean the requirement for housing is half the size of an iguana. Believe it or not, a WD's enclosure size is roughly the same as an iguana! You might get away with a foot less all around, but it still requires a large enclosure, depsite what petstores might tell you. I reccommend 5'-6'L, 3'-4'D (deep) and as tall as you can make it, as long as it is over 5 feet in height.

And lastly, the Chinese water dragon seems more delicate than its more hardy brethen, the Australian water dragon. They require more specific humidity requirements, and they seem to be less social at first (but that can depend on owners' experiences).
The Aussie is hardier, and more tollerable with handling.
Plus, if you want the best (aussie) water dragons on the market, you can visit Agama International (look it up on yahoo or google) and see for yourself.

Now, Aussies are not as pretty as the Asian WD's, but they have some advantages. However, male Aussies are quite magnificent animals.

If however, you do have the room and the time and money to properly care for an iguana, then go ahead! A 5ft.+ male iguana is an incredible site to see, especially when tame and socialized. They are extraordinary animals, but need extraordinary care just as well .

If I were you, I'd probably opt for the Australian Water Dragon.
Visit Agama International, a few Chinese WD sites, and lastly, Melissa Kaplan's Iguana webpage (again, look it all up on a search engine). Do your reasearch, analize your options, and then make a final decision.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask. Remember, there are other iguana species such as Spiny-Tailed (ctenosauras...but they are a bit nasty); Desert iguanas (dipsosaurus....cute, small, but still require plenty of running space) and Rock iguanas (cycluras.... very cool, yet can be even more demanding).

Keep us posted!

-IJ

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