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REPTILIA:
SQUAMATA: AGAMIDAE: Physignathus
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Physignathus cocincinus
Cuvier, 1829
Chinese water dragon
Photo
& text by Dr. Robert Sprackland.
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Range:
Southeastern Asia, from Myanmar (Burma) and Thailand
east to central Indonesia.
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Diagnosis:
This species is most easily confused with its
distant American relative, the green iguana. It is distinguished in
lacking a large scale under each ear, by possessing four enlarged front
teeth, and by the presence of
smooth rather than rough/pebbly scales on top of the
head.
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Description:
A potentially large (1 m/ 3.1 feet) green-bodied
lizard with a crest of enlarged vertebral scales (larger in males) the
runs from the base of the skull
to the tail tip. Legs are well-developed and long.
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Natural History:
Water dragons are found on vegetation near still
or sow flowing bodies of fresh water. They typically bask on branches,
logs, or boulders, and take flight to the water if frightened. The are
excellent swimmers, and may submerge for several minutes.
Males are territorial, and do not permit other
males within their domains. In captivity, males may fight females if they
feel crowded. This species only rarely preys on its own young. Normal diet
includes small invertebrates, small eggs, and some vegetable matter.
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Reproduction:
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Taxonomy & Relationships:
Only one other species is currently assigned to the
genus Physignathus, that being the Australian water dragon, P.
leseuereii.
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Variation:
There is considerable variation in color dependent
upon age (juveniles are generally brighter green), sex (males tend to have
orange shoulder and throat markings), season (colors are brightest in
breeding season), and temperature. Many lizards lack the stripe through
the eye.
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Additional Comments:
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Type Specimen:
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Literature:
Click on a book to order a copy
Chan-ard,
Tanya, Wolfgang Grossman, Andreas Gumprecht and Klaus-Dieter Schulz. 1999.
Amphibians and reptiles of peninsular Malaysia and Thailand, an
illustrated checklist. In English & German. Bushmaster
Publications. ISBN: 3-9806813-0-0.
Henkel,
F-W. and Wolfgang Schmidt. 1997. Agamen im Terrarium. Landbuch
Verlag, Hannover. ISBN: 3-7842-0461-9.
Manthey,
Ulrich and Wolfgang Grossman. 1997. Amphibien & Reptilien Südostasiens.
In German. Natur und Tier Verlag. ISBN: 3-931587-12-6.
Manthey,
Ulrich and Norbert Schuster. 1996. Agamid lizards. TFH
Publications. ISBN: 0-7938-0128-1.
Sprackland,
Robert. 1992. Giant Lizards. TFH Publications. ISBN: 0-86622-634-6.
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