hey everyone. as u can all tell the weather is getting nicer. i have a 17" Water dragon and was wondering if u can use a leash similair to an iguana one. id realistically like to take him outside on the warmer days and let him have some area to roam around.

it's great that you want to take your dragon outside for some sun once the weather gets warmer. The UVB from the sun will be great for him.

Water dragons often get very nervous when they are outdoors. much more so than igs or many other lizards. They seem to really notice the birds flying around, planes, tree branches moving in the wind etc ... and it freaks them out. An unleashed water dragon is apt to run.

I'm not a big fan of leashes though ... they are difficult to put on and are often too loose or too tight. if it's too loose your dragon will get out of it and possibly escape. If it's too loose or too tight the dragon could injure itself as well. legs get caught in the cord or the straps, or the animal twists around and hurt it's back, the part of the leash that covers the dragons spikes can break them (and most often does), and if you leave the dragon unattended while it's on a leash it could get caught up in the cord and hang itself.

The best suggestion that I can give you is to place your dragon inside a screened cage (plastic coated wire is best). The cage should be large enough for the dragon to move around easily and part of the cage should have some shade (ie cover part of the top to provide shade), and there should be a water dish in the cage. Never use a glass tank (and never place a glass tank in front of a window). Glass cages heat up in the sun very fast and many animals have died from becoming overheated. The screened cage that you use should have a secure door- use something to latch it so that it can't open on it's own or so that another person or an animal can't open it easily.

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Tricia