Chinese water dragons can be docile and tame pet lizards and be tolerant of handling. In this post, you will find tips on taming your Chinese water dragon and bonding with it, how to tame a new Chinese water dragon and more.
Taming some Chinese water dragons might be easier than others, as all have their own personality. In general, you should be aiming to build trust and making your dragon tolerant of handling, as taming is not the most appropriate word.
Do Chinese water dragons bite?
In general, Chinese water dragons bite very rarely. Chinese water dragons might bite when they are very stressed or hurting, and when you don’t react to warning signs (tail whip, scratching), but only with moderate force.
Are Chinese water dragons sociable and friendly?
Yes, Chinese water dragons are amusing and have interesting personalities. They love roaming, climbing and are generally active. Also, with time and patience, most become tolerant of handling (some will like handling less than others and most are shy).
Do Chinese water dragons like to be held?
Not all Chinese water dragons will like to be held for long periods of time – but most will become tolerant of handling. If you regularly handle your Chinese water dragon and work with it, it will become used to human contact and handling.
How to tame your Chinese water dragon?
Tip 1: Let your Chinese water dragon acclimatize first
Once you bring your Chinese water dragon home, let it get used to its new enclosure, home and also You. Make sure to setup an enclosure, test the temperatures and humidity, before you bring your dragon home.
Once you bring it home, place it in its enclosure and don’t handle it for around 2-3 weeks. However, during this time, you can approach the tank and place food in the tank. Don’t attempt hand/tweezer feeding yet.
Please remember that Chinese water dragons tend to run into glass and even solid walls of the enclosure. This is due to stress in the beginning.
Once your Chinese water dragon becomes comfortable, it might still run into glass/walls as it doesn’t understand the concept of glass especially. This might damage the jaw and snout permanently. So, you must cover the sides and also few inches on the bottom to show it that there’s a barrier.
If your cage is made of glass or has glass sides, please cover at least 3 sides with terrarium background tiles like this, cloth, cardboard, reptile carpet or something else suitable. Even if the walls are not made of glass, you can still cover them with a cloth/fake plants to prevent running into the walls. Also, have a lot of plants around the tank and near the walls, to prevent nose rubbing.
Apart from covering the sides of the tank, cover bottom 3-4 inches with a ribbon or similar, to show your dragon that there is a barrier. This will greatly minimize nose rubbing. The bottom must be solid, not transparent.
With time, you can remove some plants if you wish, but in the beginning, it gives a sense of security. Also, have shaded area(s) in the tank, where your Chinese water dragon can hide from light and UVB. Introduce at least one hide for your dragon to hide when it feels scared or stressed.
Acclimatization period will feel long, but please allow this time and be patient. Your dragon might not eat for the first week or even two, and this is common.
Tip 2: Start offering food
Before you actually start handling your Chinese water dragon, you can start building trust with your pet. To do this, approach the tank slowly, make sure it sees that you are in the room. You can start with this step once your dragon doesn’t hide from you or look stressed at your sight.
Open the tank’s doors (front opening doors are the best not to scare your pet). Don’t put your hand from top – this is predatory behavior. Approach from front.
You can then offer live bugs with long feeding tongs like this. It is better to keep your distance at first, but offer tasty live bugs. This will make your dragon associate you with positive things.
Tip 3: Start short handling sessions
After your Chinese water dragon doesn’t look stressed when you approach and doesn’t hide, you can start handling sessions. Of course, start with short handling sessions not to stress your dragon. Start with 5 minutes, and then build to 10, 15, 20 minutes over few weeks.
The best idea is to start handling your water dragon inside its cage for at least few days, before you try taking it out. This will make it feel safer. Always put your hand in the tank from the front and never top (predatory behavior). Slowly move your hand closer to your dragon not to stress it out.
Let your Chinese water dragon come on your hand. If it doesn’t, you can gently put your one hand on top of it, with fingers under its shoulder. Then, slowly lift and place on another arm for support. When handling, stroke your dragon gently and speak to it softly.
When handling your Chinese water dragon, make sure to support its body fully. You can let it lay on your hand/arm, while you support its front and back legs. It is a good idea to sit down, because Chinese water dragons are active, and sometimes try to get away and might fall on the floor.
Never drag your dragon’s tail – it can lead to tail loss/breakage. One of the important things is to never restrain your dragon. Otherwise, it won’t trust you. Approach slowly, talk to it, scoop it from below and let it run on your hands. Of course, you can hold his body if it’s about to fall etc.
When handling, don’t make any sudden movements and be calm. You might also offer it a treat. This will let your dragon know that coming out the cage = having a good time. Your Chinese water dragon might whip its tail at you, but it should not hurt a lot. In this case, try again later.
Please remember that Chinese water dragon can be very fast, so if you take it out, stay in a closed room. Make sure that the room is safe and there are no gaps for escaping.
Tip 4: Let it roam in a room
Once your Chinese water dragon is more comfortable with you, you can let it roam a room for a while. Choose a smaller room where it can’t escape outside, won’t catch cables etc.
This is very important as escapes are common – Chinese water dragons are very fast and can be flighty. Owners often take their pet lizards to roam a bathroom, with closed doors and toilet seats.
Once your Chinese water dragon seems more relaxed, you can let it walk in another small room. However, also make sure it’s escape and dragon proof. Place it in the center of the room (open space) and sit near. This will show your dragon that it’s a safe area.
Tip 5: Make sure temperature and humidity in cage are optimal
Believe it or not, ideal setup will help your Chinese water dragon relax and feel safe. If temperatures or humidity are too low or high, your Chinese water dragon will be stressed, hide more etc.
Husbandry plays a huge role in how friendly and tolerant your Chinese water dragon is. Make sure to have a digital thermometers & hygrometers, and regularly check the temperatures with a handheld thermometer like this.
You can read more on ideal heating and humidity here.
Important points when handling a Chinese water dragon
- Always approach your water dragon slowly and put your hand from below, never from above.
- Don’t force your dragon to stay, restrain or drag it!
- Never pull its tail – it can cause tail drop/breakage
- Make sure to block all escape points- they are very fast!
- Be patient as some Chinese water dragons won’t cooperate and won’t like to be handled for too long. Learn your dragon’s behaviors.
- Most Chinese water dragons are shy, so be careful when approaching.
- Many baby dragons tend to be skittish, and calm down with age and become tame.
Please be patient with your Chinese water dragon, and it will become friendlier and more tolerant of handling. It can take a month or more to make your Chinese water dragon comfortable in new surroundings and tolerate handling.
Also, each Chinese water dragon has its own personality. Some will only stay for few minutes and then want to roam. Others will be happy to sit on your lap for 20 minutes or longer. No matter what, please learn your dragon’s behaviors and respect its needs.
If you would like to see more Chinese water dragon articles, please visit this resource page.