I have 2 infant Chinese water dragons. They seem to enjoy "resting" on top of each other. I don't think they are old enough to try to mate and I have no idea if either one is female. Possibly trying to stay warm?
2007-03-23 06:04:28 · 8 answers · asked by kitty 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
All dragons have female features when they are young. Small, but proportional to body size, slightly triangular shaped heads. A small or low crest on the back of the neck. Slightly rounded bodies. They usually have small spikes along the crest, their backs and down their tails, but some or all spikes may be missing due to poor shedding of skin. The underside of the back legs have femoral pores. On young dragons these pores are usually small, smooth and white.
The Juvenile Dragon
A dragon is considered a juvenile when it's body is approx. 3 inches in length from the snout to the vent, and if the tail is intact, when the dragons total length is approx. 10 to 12 inches. When they reach this size they are usually about a year old, and yes they still look female.
As a dragon approaches approximately a year and a half in age- lets say 4.5- 6" snout to vent or 16 - 18" in total length, the secondary sexual characteristics begin to develop.
The Male Dragon
At this time, if your dragon is a male:
His head will begin to get larger and wider and even more triangular.
The crest on the neck will begin to get higher, and the spikes much longer
The spikes on his back will get longer,
You'll notice that below the spikes there is a ridge of bone or cartilage under the skin that points upward, just as the spikes do. I don't know if there is a proper term for this characteristic but I call them vertebral spikes. On an adult male these bony protrusions under the skin, below the spikes are approximately 1/2 inch long (1.2 cm).
Females do not have this at all.
the spikes at the base of the tail will get substantially higher, almost like a secondary dorsal crest
the femoral pores on the underside of the back legs will grow much wider, become darker and start to fill with a waxy like substance.
The femoral pores will feel bumpy compared to a females which will continue to stay small, smooth and indistinct.
As the male dragon approaches adulthood you should notice that his body is also more triangular shaped ... upward triangular, and that the base of the tail is much more triangular than that of a female.
An adult females body is more rounded or pear shaped (especially in the abdominal area), and her tail should remain rounded in appearance.
If your dragon gets to be say, 5 inches snout to vent or longer, and it's total length is 18 or more inches and you haven't started to see some of these changes in appearance you most likely have a female dragon.
Special care is required for females!
If you believe you have a female dragon please note that female dragons have special care requirements in adulthood. This is mainly because female dragons will develop, and lay eggs whether they have ever mated with a male or not. If they have never mated the eggs just wont be fertile.
Anyone with a dragon that is 5" or more snout to vent, or 18 or more inches in total length that they believe might be female, should have a proper egg laying area set up for the dragon. If a female dragon develops eggs and doesn't have what she considers a proper place to lay them, she may hold them and become egg bound. This could lead to death if the problem is not discovered quickly.
Egg development takes a great toll of the female body. The female needs to be in good shape to come through this period with a clean bill of health. She needs to be fed a nutritious diet, She needs to be kept at the proper temperatures, and while she is gravid (pregnant) she should be getting calcium supplements every day.
To shell the eggs the female dragon needs calcium. If she's not getting enough from her diet (proper UVB fluorescent lighting is also necessary to help absorb the calcium properly!!) she will use calcium from her bones and could become calcium deficient.
Calcium deficiency or MBD is a very serious ailment and it could lead to death if proper medical attention is not sought.
2007-03-23 07:12:12 · answer #1 · answered by allyalexmch 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no they are not trying to stay warm it is purly social. they feel heat with their bodies and sense light with their third eye that is located on the tops of their heads its called the parietal eye. no way mating is happening if they are infants nor any courtship ritual. you will have to wait a while to tell the sex of each. femoral pores are by far the easiest way to tell the difference in males and females. if both are the same sex you really don't have anything to compare it to. if ones head is larger and more triangle then that is the male but if they are the same its hard to tell the difference. here is a website that has pics of females and males to compare with but you have quite a while till you will be sure. also here is a website to learn proper care for your cwd's they take more care than most other common dragons or lizards. I would not suggest these for someones first lizard. but hey gotta learn sometime. I have 3 and I still do not know with certainty their sex by the way females grow up to 29 inches and males a cool 3 foot. be prepared they need space.
2007-03-23 09:36:18 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can't tell until they are around 20". That's when the dimorphism begins to be apparent. Some sites say 16", but most places I've read say they must be 20+.
They probably are trying to stay warm, definitely not mating at that age. Maybe they both want the same basking spot so one just takes over. Perhaps try increasing the temperature (while keeping a gradient) and/or add more or a longer UV (A and B) bulb.
2007-03-23 06:16:42 · answer #3 · answered by Wondering 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
those are really cool. you have to wait untill they are around 20 " long and this is goin to sound so creepy but this is the way you can tell.
take ur dragon ( without hurting it ) and flip him over on his back or hold him that way and where there personal area is look there.
for a boy he will have 2 bumps on each side. sorta like guys balls. and girls will have nothing. that how we tell them apart at work.
2007-03-23 13:38:30 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
males develop larger heads, large jowls, and a larger crest behind the neck, the femoral pores of adult males are slightly larger than that of the females.
2007-03-23 07:18:13 · answer #5 · answered by rubyroo13 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am not sure, that is really kool you have chinese water dragons.
2007-03-23 06:10:16 · answer #6 · answered by katana b 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
if you want to know for sure now and not wait until they are 20 inches long you will have to take them to the vet and have them probed to know for sure otherwise you will just have to wait till their sex characteristic start to show.
2007-03-23 13:56:06 · answer #7 · answered by Michelle D 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
no is a stupidaggin oh yes
ciao
2007-03-23 06:14:49 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋