Chinese water dragons are amusing pets and you would love to see them roam around in the tank. Have you ever thought how your baby water dragon will look when it grows older? If you find a tiny dragon hatchling, you’ll probably see a small brownish green creature moving around.
Juvenile dragons are about a total of five to six inches in length. What is interesting to note here is that all Chinese water dragons look female when they are young! Usually, white or green stripes run along the sides of a juvenile dragon.
Baby dragons can be differentiated as male or female only after they grow up to 16 to 18 inches. Your pet will probably be about a year and half at this stage. At this point, Chinese water dragons begin to develop secondary sexual characteristics that differentiate the sexes.
Adult Chinese water dragons have a bright green color that can range from light green to dark green. The belly can be white, pale green, pale yellow or off white. Like juvenile dragons, adult dragons also have colorful stripes on the sides of their body. These vertical stripes can be green, aqua or turquoise in color.
The exotic appeal of Chinese water dragons is mainly due to colorful throats. Both baby and adult dragons can have a bright pink, orange, pale yellow or peach throat. Some dragons have a single color throat while few have a throat with colorful stripes.
Chinese water dragons have a triangular head, which is larger in male dragons. White scales normally are found covering the mouth area. Water dragons have a sticky tongue that helps them hold their prey. Your pet also has small pointed teeth to enjoy an omnivorous diet but can be used to bite the owners. Although, water dragons are not aggressive, they can bite the owners if they feel threatened or are excessively annoyed.
It is said that Chinese water dragons have a small, shiny spot between their eyes, which helps them maintain body temperature. Also referred to as the third eye, this spot also guides the dragon to go back into shelter when light levels begin to decrease.
Chinese water dragons have a nuchal crest or enlarged spines on the back on the head. These spines are larger and more prominent in the male dragons. Both male and female dragons have strong muscular legs to help them move around. The back legs are particularly well developed to help the dragon swim or climb branches.
