Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is it normal for a water dragon to eats its own fecal matter ??
I am new to owning a lizard (we purchased a juvenile), and other than this bizarre behaviour, Jar-Jar( our pets name) is in perfect health. She/He eats normally, is easy to handle, very alert, turns a brilliant bright green when happy, takes naps, bathes normally etc. etc. She alternates between crickets and meal worms, lives in a 20 gallon Long tank, gets sprayed with water everyday. Is this normal for her/him to eat fecal matter shortly after defacating ??

it is perfectly normal. they eat their own fecals because they feel the need to reabsorb some of that protien and minerals. as far as you care is concerned it sounds good except for the part about a 20 long. how old is the dragon. if it is a hatchling that maybe ok for a short period of time. i keep all dragons under a foot in a 55 gallon tank.. remember taller is always better than longer... but always leave enough room to run too. you may try to get a multivitamin and calcium with d3 too.. if you haven't already.. ohh and cute name

alissa

Alissa,

Thank you so much for replying to this so quickly. My wife and I were very concerned, even though Jar-Jar seems perfectly healthy. By the way, the name was my wifes idea. She isn't a Sci-Fi fan, but loves Jar-Jar. Also, Jar-Jar was a hatchling when we purchased him/her and is less than a foot long now from snout to end of tail. We know we will need something larger later, but we wanted to see how we would do first without spending a ton of money. Can dragons do well in the nylon type cages ?? They can be pretty inexpensive even for something
5ft x 6ft, but I would be concerned about humidity staying in there.....any idea on this ?

some people have great sucess with those nylon cages. i personally don't like them but others on this forum do use them and have great sucess. humidity may be an issue but you can cover three sides of the cage in a plastic shower curtain that holds in heat and humidity well but still leaving the front and top open for good air flow. you also may want to remember the nylon makes it hard to see in and you'll want to mount the lights on the inside for better light intesity. if you are handy you could also make you own cage. I'm not good on pricing since all my cage material comes to me free from my dads work but they aren't to hard to make. you can make it out of plywood coated in polyuerathane (sp) and sealed with food grade sealant (100% silicon) and just add either slider doors or doors that open with glass or plexi fronts. let me know if you have any more questions or if i have forgotten anything.

Alissa