Physignathus cocincinus — Fact Sheet

Physignathus cocincinus · Physignathus cocincinus · Chinese water dragon · Grüner Wasseragame

📋 At a glance

🏠 Enclosure

• Indoor vivarium with secure ventilation; outdoor sun only in safe supervised weather
• Adult enclosure must provide usable floor space, climbing or digging structure as appropriate
• Substrate should match the species: dry soil/sand/clay for arid animals, planted/drainage layers for humid arboreal animals
• Avoid loose unsafe particles for juveniles, slippery floors, and cramped glass boxes

🪨 Enclosure furniture

• Warm basking zone, cooler retreat, humid hide or humid zone where appropriate
• Stable rocks, branches, cork, hides, and visual barriers
• Water dish or misting/drinking system matched to the species

💡 Lighting

• UVB required or strongly recommended for most diurnal lizards
• Best: T5 HO UVB tube plus bright visible lighting and separate heat lamp
• Replace UVB lamps on schedule and measure UVI when possible
• Photoperiod: 10-12 h; no visible light at night

🌡️ Temperature

• Basking spot: 32-35 °C

• Warm zone: 27-30 °C

• Cool zone: 24-26 °C

• Night: 23-25 °C

• Clear gradient required; the animal must be able to move between warm, cool, and hidden zones

• Measure basking surfaces with an infrared thermometer and ambient zones with digital probes

• Avoid heat rocks and unguarded heat sources

💧 Humidity & water

• Provide a moisture gradient rather than one uniform humidity value
• Fresh water always available or reliable drinking droplets for arboreal species
• Use humid hides for shedding support where appropriate
• Avoid stagnant wet substrate and poor ventilation

🪳 Diet

Feed regularly:

• Appropriately sized crickets, roaches, locusts, and other feeder insects

In moderation:

• Waxworms, mealworms, superworms, and fatty larvae

Avoid:

• Wild-caught insects, oversized prey, spoiled feeders

Supplements:

• Calcium as needed; vitamins in a controlled schedule; UVB does not get replaced by powders

🩺 Health — warning signs

• Soft jaw or limb weakness → UVB/calcium problem
• Retained shed on toes/tail → humidity or surface problem
• Refusal to eat → temperature, stress, parasites, or illness
• Wheezing or bubbles → respiratory disease
• Weight loss despite feeding → parasites or chronic disease

Consult a reptile- or exotic-animal veterinarian for severe weakness, injury, breathing signs, swelling, or prolonged refusal to eat.