JaggedHorizon
New member
I am trying to buy a simple Chinese Water Dragon for my son as a beginner reptile and would like to purchase from a reputable person, but am having a lot of trouble identifying one. Can anyone help?
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Responding to email notices you receive.
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I'm a newb...HELP!
- Thread starter JaggedHorizon
- Start date
Craigpolly
New member
dont do it, they r not dat simple. no good for beginners. Suggest a gecko or swift
hhmoore
tired & cranky shadow
Please do not post "Help" type questions in the classifieds. It only takes a couple of seconds to scroll down to the discussion areas.
hadenglock
New member
save yourself the trouble and look into getting a bearded dragon, much easier to work with than water dragons.
kelseyx14
New member
Water dragons require a lot of work and are a long commitment. They get BIG.
Gargoyle Gecko or a Crested Gecko is your best bet. They are smaller in size being 7-9" as an adult. They have huge personalities.
Gargoyle Gecko or a Crested Gecko is your best bet. They are smaller in size being 7-9" as an adult. They have huge personalities.
Croghans Reptiles
Croghan's Reptiles
I've owned a female water dragon, and they get large. she is 2.5 ft long, and mostly tail. she is friendly and likes to play (chase food on tongs around my room). she will nap in my lap when I watch t.v. or play games. However. Chinese water dragons are an expensive hobby. They require a large cage (I would recommend a 4x3x3 minimum). they are tropical animals, so I would suggest getting a reptifogger, a large swimming bowl (mine is a target plastic tub). she eats roaches and crickets, I would say you should start a dubia roach colony for your lizard. they don't smell or make noise, but thats another subject entirely. Water dragons need plenty of TLC when growing up, or else they have a chance of being aggressive towards you or your son.
Now, where to buy.
I would suggest going to a reptile show to purchase the EXACT animal you might want. to find a reptile show, just google it. for example, lets say I want to find a nearby show. Lets say I live in burlington vermont. I would search:
Reptile expo in vermont
or
Reptile expo in burlington vermont
Now, It's unlikely you will find one nearby but a 2 hour drive is worth the trip. You could even make a day out of it with your boy. I only buy from reptile expos due to the fact that you can ask the breeder anything you want, choose the healthiest animal, and maybe learn a thing or two.
What if you don't have any expos near you?
Some websites I have had success with are as follows:
http://www.lllreptile.com/
http://www.backwaterreptiles.com/
http://undergroundreptiles.com/
Underground reptiles has an online youtube show, they are about 20 minutes each. they are very informative and entertaining.
Any further questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]
-Connor
Now, where to buy.
I would suggest going to a reptile show to purchase the EXACT animal you might want. to find a reptile show, just google it. for example, lets say I want to find a nearby show. Lets say I live in burlington vermont. I would search:
Reptile expo in vermont
or
Reptile expo in burlington vermont
Now, It's unlikely you will find one nearby but a 2 hour drive is worth the trip. You could even make a day out of it with your boy. I only buy from reptile expos due to the fact that you can ask the breeder anything you want, choose the healthiest animal, and maybe learn a thing or two.
What if you don't have any expos near you?
Some websites I have had success with are as follows:
http://www.lllreptile.com/
http://www.backwaterreptiles.com/
http://undergroundreptiles.com/
Underground reptiles has an online youtube show, they are about 20 minutes each. they are very informative and entertaining.
Any further questions, feel free to email me at [email protected]
-Connor
Croghans Reptiles
Croghan's Reptiles
kelseyx14
New member
Get a Gargoyle Gecko instead. The work and requirements are A LOT less. Bearded Dragons and Water Dragons keep getting recommended as "starter reptiles" when they are the complete opposite.
hhmoore
tired & cranky shadow
Why does everybody feel the need to tell the guy he's wrong about what lizard he wants? Maybe he has no interest in bearded dragons, crested geckos, gargoyle geckos, etc...
As far as the sites that were recommended, I'd look elsewhere if it was my money.
As far as the sites that were recommended, I'd look elsewhere if it was my money.
When I first started out in '98, a water dragon was my dream to get. I spent so much time on Melissa K's anapsid site (http://www.anapsid.org/waterdragons.html - not everyone is a fan but she does have some good info there) and Trisha's water dragon page (http://www.triciaswaterdragon.com/) and in yahoo groups finding info. A buddy of mine wanted to surprise me with one and brought home... an iguana. LOL
Anyways, just a thought, as captive breeders can be hard to find since they are imported so cheaply in bulk, is contact your local reptile society! They may be able to help you find someone locally that works with them or give you a good referral. Generally I avoid the big wholesalers (those mentioned earlier) and try to support the small time hobby breeders.
I found a link here to a society in your area:
http://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com/
Good luck in your search!
kelseyx14
New member
Harald, it may have to do with the fact that the post said "beginner reptile" and "son." Chinese Water Dragons are not a good reptile for a first time owner. They require a lot of care and should have an enclosure at least 4' L x 3.5' H x 3.5' D. People see then in stores and think they are adorable. Then they get one and have no idea how to care for it. Later as they are googling they realize some reach 4 ft in length though 3.5 ft is more common.
*Disclaimer; if a CWD reaches 4' in length they require a larger enclosure af a minimum size of 6' L x 4.5' H x 4.5' D to allow them to move comfortably.*
Even Bearded Dragons have a lot of care requirements. Any young CWD I have worked with is easily stressed and extremely skittish. "Taming" can take many weeks depending on where they came from and if they had been handled in the past.
I always recommend Gargoyle Geckos to first time owners as they are much smaller, do not get stressed often, are very hand able, and have big personalities for their smaller size. They are great, a lot of people look over them as first time reptiles.
*Disclaimer; if a CWD reaches 4' in length they require a larger enclosure af a minimum size of 6' L x 4.5' H x 4.5' D to allow them to move comfortably.*
Even Bearded Dragons have a lot of care requirements. Any young CWD I have worked with is easily stressed and extremely skittish. "Taming" can take many weeks depending on where they came from and if they had been handled in the past.
I always recommend Gargoyle Geckos to first time owners as they are much smaller, do not get stressed often, are very hand able, and have big personalities for their smaller size. They are great, a lot of people look over them as first time reptiles.
LauraB
CLOSED ACCOUNT
I gotta agree ... the OP said "beginner reptile" for his son.
How many people see that cute little Tegu or Iguana, only inches long, and take it home as their first reptile purchase only to find they can't and don't want to care for it as it matures? Then it ends up in a rescue situation, released. or for sale on CL?
Frankly, I would have to agree with a gecko or bearded dragon as a first reptile for a kid.
I think my kids, now grown, would agree that my snakes, turtles, torts, scorps, large lizards, even chams, that must eat live food and do draw blood on occasion, were not their best introductions to the herps I love, LOL.
How many people see that cute little Tegu or Iguana, only inches long, and take it home as their first reptile purchase only to find they can't and don't want to care for it as it matures? Then it ends up in a rescue situation, released. or for sale on CL?
Frankly, I would have to agree with a gecko or bearded dragon as a first reptile for a kid.
I think my kids, now grown, would agree that my snakes, turtles, torts, scorps, large lizards, even chams, that must eat live food and do draw blood on occasion, were not their best introductions to the herps I love, LOL.
hhmoore
tired & cranky shadow
I'm well aware of the care involved....and agree that a lot of people jump in without properly researching them. That doesn't change the fact that this is the type of animal in which they are interested. Better, IMO, to give him the information he needs (care requirements, adult size, space requirements, expense, common problems, etc); and let him decide for himself. That doesn't guarantee anything, obviously...but starting out with an animal that doesn't spark that interest - regardless of how easy it is to care for - isn't a recipe for a happy experience.
(It doesn't matter how easy something is to care for - if its owner becomes disinterested, it won't fare well...and cheap shouldn't mean expendable.)
I get the "good first reptile" angle...I just happen to feel that "settling", or getting what somebody else likes, is a poor option.
The person making the inquiry is an adult. Give him the information to make an informed decision - if he decides that a water dragon isn't the best choice for him and his son, he can ask for other suggestions.
(It doesn't matter how easy something is to care for - if its owner becomes disinterested, it won't fare well...and cheap shouldn't mean expendable.)
I get the "good first reptile" angle...I just happen to feel that "settling", or getting what somebody else likes, is a poor option.
The person making the inquiry is an adult. Give him the information to make an informed decision - if he decides that a water dragon isn't the best choice for him and his son, he can ask for other suggestions.
hhmoore
tired & cranky shadow
I guess my point is that this site used to be a place where people gave information freely. If somebody asked about Chinese water dragons, somebody would take the time to educate him. If they felt it was a poor choice, that was backed up with an informative explanation (more education) of why.
Kudos to Connor for at least starting along that path.
Kudos to Connor for at least starting along that path.