How Big Do Chinese Water Dragons Get? A Little Iguana?

During the last couple of years the famous yet troublesome iguanas have been somewhat replaced by chinese water dragons. Chinese water dragons, if taken care of properly are fairly tame and wonderful pets. As amazing as chinese water dragons are, they do require a fair share of attention and care. So if you are looking to become a chinese water dragon owner, you need to be fully committed.

I have written this article especially for the thousands of wonderful chinese water dragon owners such as yourself and the people who are looking to get a chinese water dragon, so that you are aware of what to do and what to expect from your water dragon beforehand.

A chinese water dragon owner should be aware of how big his pet is going to get to figure out things like the perfect size for his water tank and when will it need a mate (to name a few). So if you had the question“how big do chinese water dragons get?” then read on below to find out.

Size and description

When the babies of chinese water dragons hatch they are approximately 1 inch from snout to vent and in total their length is approximately 5 to 6 inches. Whereas when they turn into adults, male chinese water dragon size gets around 3 feet, as for female chinese water dragons the size gets around 2 feet. The color of adult Chinese water dragons is of course green. There is a variation in the color green which ranges from darker shades of green to light mint green. A difference in the color of the upper body and the lower body of the chinese dragons can be seen. While the upper body has shades of green, the lower body consists of colors ranging anywhere from white to light yellow.

The babies of chinese water dragons have a brownish green color on the top of their body whereas on the bottom of their body the color is usually pale green.

It is a very common observation that the tails of chinese water dragons are quite large. It almost makes up for around 70%-75% of the total size of the water dragons. The tail is usually of green or brown color and it is flattened. In addition to wagging their tail, chinese water dragons also use their tails to provide themselves with stability and control while they are climbing as well as to fight off attackers when there is a fear of being attacked by a predator.

Size and living conditions

When chinese water dragons are born they are small enough to be kept in a 10-gallon aquarium but a full grown chinese water dragon should be kept in a large space which is adequate enough for it. 

One of the main reasons why there is a need for large containers as chinese water dragons grow, apart from the increase in their size, is that they are swimmers and they’d enjoy living in a space which is large enough for them to swim in.

Size and diet

There is a different kind of diet that a chinese water dragon requires with every age. When a chinese water dragon baby hatches you want to take care of it and feed it daily because that’s the point in his life when he is vulnerable whereas, if you have an adult chinese water dragon you can feed it every 2 – 3 days as per requirement.

However if you are one of those people who like to feed their pets everyday then perhaps you can feed small portions of food to your chinese water dragon so that it doesn’t become overweight.

If your water dragon is frail or seams weak then you can completely ignore this feeding schedule and give him food as per his own requirement so that he puts on some weight.

Conclusion - The Small Iguana?

As a child, my dream was always to keep a green iguana. I thought that those reptiles were THE reptiles, however as most of us know, adult green iguanas are huuuge. Further not all of them are really friendly to their owners, especially when they are not used to be touched.

The chinese water dragon really is the better alternative for the casual reptile owner. A full grown chinese water dragon requires less space, it is easier to handle and the little water dragons will become tame easily. Especially for kids, this is in most cases the better reptile in my opinion. However do not get me wrong here, green iguanas still have a special place in my heart and I am sure I will add one to my little home zoo in the near future ...lol.​

I hope that this article has answered your question about how big do chinese water dragons get. For a pet owner it’s important to know the diet and shelter requirements for his water dragon and size plays an important role in determining that!