Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I read on Tricia's Chinese Waterdragon page that for breeding to occur you need to lower the tempratures etc, but in the article on WDs by Mike Spears in REPTILES Magazine it says that the dragons will breed without temprature cycling.
Also, as I've learned that soil molds quite easy in WD terrariums, but is there a difference if I would use soil mixed with sand. I read that could also work.
Or maybe reptile carpets, pros and cons? If I use a reptile carpet would the dragons be able to easily go in the water, or find the food, (I'm planning to place food in a small bowl, big enough for crickets not to jump out) if I can't bury the bowl, or watercontainer, in the substrate?

Thanks in advcance
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CokeOfMan

What I meant was, which one of those statements are correct.
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CokeOfMan

Mine bred without lower of the temps. Aussie dragons need to brumate, but Chinese water dragons live where it stays warm year round. I used reptile carpet, it worked great. I just had to have a laying box of soil for my females. I hand-fed my dragons, mostly mice and earthworms, they stopped eating crickets once they got big. I did sometimes throw the earthworms into a large rubbermaid container, about 6 inches deep, and the dragons hopped in and out of it with no trouble. You can just lean a branch up onto it, so they can climb in easily.
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Mine breed and lay eggs April-August, so they are definitely seasonal, but I don't lower the temperatures. Mine run loose in their own room, and they have a south facing window, so my only conclusion is that they are clued in as to what season it is, by the length of day light hours. This would require that they know the difference between the artifical lighting and the natural lighting coming in through the Windows, since I don't change the timing of the artificial lighting. Other then that, its possible that they are sensitive to barometric,or some other changes that we are not. Its also possible that with a lack of seasonal cues, that they will still breed, but less often.