Well, I brought Monty home last night. He is my first Water Dragon. I am used to tree frogs and anoles, so this is a little different for me. He's a baby right now, I'd say about 3" or so. I saw that they get up to 3 ft, so I got my dad's old Iguana tank, which is farily large. I have a small kitty litter box for his "pond," but I'm not filling it too much since he is so small.

Anyways, When I brought him home, he was a beautiful green and black. Before I went to bed last night, he hid between the water tub and the side of the tank and went to sleep. When I got up this morning, we was a dark blacki-sh brown color. He was still hiding, but I could tell he had been out, since he left a few presents around. Is this normal? Is he just stressed? It's just got me a little freaked because I had a frog once that mom set in front of the window and it fried....when I found it, it was blackish-brown. I hope he's gonna be okay.

it may just be stress since you only just brought him home last night. most herps need at least a week to adjust to their new homes. try to keep handling him at a minimum for now until he starts feeling safer.

it would help if you could tell us about the way you have things set up, like the size of the enclosure, your lighting, temperatures, what you're using as the substrate, etc. do you have anything for him to hide in? that helps them feel more secure as well. good luck with him.

also, if you haven't already, you might want to read the caresheet on water dragons in this forum. it has alot of helpful information and there are lots of water dragon keepers here who will be happy to answer your questions or help you out. good luck! post pics if you can.

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yes i am a she ^_^

~My Babies~

1 Rosy Boa (male) Chaos
1 Snow Corn (male) Blizzard
1 Anertherystic Corn (male) Bullet
1 Senegal Parrot (male) Shadow
2 dogs (male) Spot and Bear

Well, as of right now, he has "carpeting" on the bottom of the cage. I normally use the dirt and substrate for my frogs, but I was told that this would make it easier to clean since the cage is so large, approx. 6-7ft long. He has a large log that hangs in the middle for him to climb on. Um...several plants here and there, for him to hide in, as well as for shade. I got a little "log cave" that he'll be able to use until he gets a little bigger. he has some plants in his water bucket. I just got a few pieces of wood/logs to put around here and there for something to climb on, as well as a large, flat rock to sit on. I will be able to get a picture up a little later when I get back home with him.

As far as handling goes, I figured, like my other critters, that he would need some time to adjust. I have petted him once, when he was first placed in. Other than that, I've left him to roam around. I think it's a good sign, he has been venturing out some, but he goes right back behing the water bucket. So, I guess that is just his safety zone.

Oh, he also has a light and a ceramic heating lamp. Not sure of the wattage off the top of my head, but I can check when I get home.

What are the temperatures in the enclosure?
What are you using to provide UVB light? This is important.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

I will actually be picking those up today (a thermometer and bulb)

Water dragons usually stress easily and need a lot of foliage to hide in....sometimes they need the cage to be boxed in so they cannot see out of it, depending on the lizard. Good luck and keep us posted! Oh and Welcome!

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Warmest Regards from Lyn

welcome! there are tons of bearded dragon owners who are very helpful on this site, you should find a wealth of information.

What kinds of frogs did/do you own?

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

It looks like Monty is doing fine now. I added some more foliage to his cage and got his bulb hooked up. I will be getting a timer for it when I get the money. It seems that despite all that I've got in there, his favorite place to hide is between the wall and the water bucket! If that's what suits him, that's fine with me. As long as he's happy!

Here are some pictures of him:

Monty:
Monty the Water Dragon by ~SillyMigol on deviantART

Monty hiding:
Find the Dragon by ~SillyMigol on deviantART

Monty's Cage (This is a bit blurry. My apologies!):
Monty's Home by ~SillyMigol on deviantART

The only thing is that during the night that part gets cold (bottom of the cage near the glass) ... Maybe you should put a little more space between the 'pond' and the glass..

thats a good sized enclosure. Do you know what your humidity is? I would be concerned about that. What sort of top do you have on there? Also since dragons like to climb, could you add another branch or two?

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.