Water Dragon
Physignathus cocincinus
- Class
- Reptile
- Rarity
- Rare
- Observations
- 1,062
- Most observed in
- 🇭🇰 Hong Kong SAR China
- Conservation
- Vulnerable
Description
Physignathus cocincinus is a species of agamid lizard native to southern China and mainland Southeast Asia. It is commonly known as the Chinese water dragon, Indochinese water dragon, Asian water dragon, Thai water dragon, or green water dragon. Chinese water dragons are large diurnal lizards adapted for dense subtropical forests replete with unpolluted streams. They are semi-arboreal, roosting at night on branches overlooking streams, which offer an escape route when the lizards are disturbed. Arthropods are their main source of food, though worms, snails, vertebrates, and plants make up a notable portion of the diet as well. Males are territorial towards each other and bear display features such as crests and jowls. Females are oviparous and reproduce sexually in the wild, though at least one captive Chinese water dragon is known to have reproduced via parthenogenesis. Physignathus cocincinus is related to Australasian lizards in the subfamily Amphibolurinae. One amphibolurine, the Australian water dragon (Intellagama lesuerii) is so anatomically and ecologically similar to Physignathus cocincinus that it was once (erroneously) placed in the same genus. Feral populations introduced to Hong Kong and Taiwan flourish in high densities despite countermeasures in the latter territory. Their populations are also stable (albeit not widespread) in protected areas of Thailand.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Chinese water dragon”.