| Range: |
India, eastern Asia |
| Habitat: |
Forests, near water |
| Conservation Status: |
Not listed by IUCN |
| Scientific Name: |
Physignathus cocincinus |
The name of this animal makes it sound fierce, but the water dragon spends most of its time basking lazily on a tree limb over water. When the animal is threatened, it jumps in and swims away.
Water dragons are strong swimmers and can remain underwater for nearly half an hour. They have other survival techniques, too. Their green coloring blends in with the forest leaves, and their long thin toes and sharp nails help them climb trees quickly.
Like many lizards, water dragons have a light-sensitive "third eye" (known as a parietal eye) located on the top of the head. Although this eye doesn't “see,” it plays an important role in production of hormones and in regulating the amount of time the animal basks in the sun.
The Chinese water dragon is one of the most popular lizards in the pet trade.
|
