The water dragon is a large species of lizard native to the forests and jungles of Asia and Australia. Water dragons are arboreal animals meaning
that they spend most of their time in the trees, often close to a large
body of water. There are two different species of water dragon,
which are the Australian water dragon and the Asian water dragon. The
Australian water dragon is the smaller of the two water dragon species
and is found on the east coast of Australia. Australian water dragons
have powerful legs and sharp claws which help them to climb trees more
effectively.
The Asian water dragon is
the larger and more colourful of the two water dragon species and is
found in forests and jungles throughout India, China, Laos, Vietnam,
Burma and Thailand. The Asian water dragon also has a third eye (known
as the pineal gland), which is thought to be able to detect difference
in light. Although water dragons are generally tree-dwelling animals,
they also spend a great deal of time in or very close to the water.
Like many other lizard species, water dragons are omnivorous animals
eating a variety of plant and animal species. Water dragons primarily
prey upon small animals such as lizards, frogs and rodents, insects and
fish which they catch will there long tongue. Due to their relatively
large size, water dragons have limited predators within their natural
environment, although this is entirely dependent on where the area which
the water dragon inhabits. Snakes, large birds and carnivorous mammals
are the primary predators of the water dragon.
Water dragons hibernate during
the cooler winters and begin breeding when they emerge in the spring.
The female water dragon digs a burrow in the ground where she lays up to
18 eggs, and then buries them. The water dragon young hatch within a
few months and remain close to the nest until they become bigger and
more adventurous. Source
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