Hello everyone, I need a bit of help with a reciently adopted water dragon. I've never cared for a lizard before, but I do have several snakes so I know a bit about reptiles. About 2 weeks ago, I was buying a few mice at the local pet store when a younger guy brought in a water dragon he had found in the bathtup of an apartment he had just moved into. He wanted to know if the pet store would take care of it. They said they couldnt. The guy asked me if I wanted it, so I took a look.
The dragon looked pretty much dead to me. Nothing but skin and bones, most of his color was brown, he has some snout damage, and would only lift his head or open his eyes if picked up. I didnt think the dragon would last long if he didnt get some tlc, so I agree to take it off his hands.
I had an extra tank I was going to use for a new snake, so it didnt take much to switch it for the lizard. Its a 40gal, repti-turf substrate, undertank heater, uv light, large water dish, tall piece of drift wood, and some fake green plants. This is the same set up he is currently in.
When I first got him home and setup, he went straight to his waterdish, he sucked down water for a good 5 minutes solid, then stayed in the dish for about an hour. He then climbed out and I tried to feed him a superworm and a cricket, he didnt want anything to do with either of them. He pretty much fell asleep where he climbed out at. The next morning I thought he was dead, he wouldnt move and felt limp. He wouldnt even open his eyes when I picked him up. I could see him breathing though, so I set him back in his tank where the heating pad was, thinking he may have gotten cold in the night.
Later that day he did get up and go drink down a bunch of water again. Afterwards I did get him to eat a superworm and a calcium dusted cricket. The next day was basicly the same, but he got active a bit sooner and ate 3 worms and 2 crickets. He probably would have eaten more, but I was afraid of giving him too much when he has obviously been starved. He did have a bm that day which I had test for parasites, it came back negitive. He has continued to improve since then, his body has filled out alot, and his color is almost all green. Most of his snout damage has cleared. He is getting more active each day, and is usually up and about when I wake up. He is also very friendly, and likes rubbed on the top of his and sitting on peoples shoulders.
Well, heres my questions, how old is he? He is about 5 inches, NTV, and about 18 inches total. (nice tail on him) And what should his diet be? Right now he is eating 2-3 superworms and and 2 calcium dusted crickets a day. Should I be giving him fruits or veggies, and if so, what type? I notice he is getting a bit of a pot belly. Am I giving him too much? I can tell he is going to need a taller cage by how much he climbs, but what size should it be? Should I be doing something else for him, or is there something I shouldnt be doing? Any advise you all could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for you time, and sorry for such the long post.
