Today for lovers of exotics in the market the widest selection of pets. Many unusual animals are adapted for successful keeping and breeding at home. About one of these will tell our article. Let's look at how the water agama lives at home and in nature, how to care for this creature, how to make friends and tame it.
Affiliation
The Agam family is quite numerous. Water agamas are isolated in a monotypic genus. Their closest relatives are tenon, bearded and horned agamas. All these animals are reptiles and belong to the order Scaly.
The full name of the species is the Kokhinkhinskaya water agama. It is given for one of the habitats.
Area
Water agama lives in the southern part of China, as well as in some countries of Southeast Asia. This animal can be found in Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam.
Agama prefers the humid coolness of the rainforest, and for a normal existence she needs a pond. It is no coincidence that it is called aquatic; this animal swims beautifully.
Animals settle on trees, felled trunks, mossy stumps.
External features
The body length of a water agama can reach a meter, with more than half falling on the tail. The color is saturated, in green shades, and there may be spots on the tail (brown or even brighter green).
A characteristic feature are tenacious claws. There are no membranes between the fingers. Males have well-marked growths on their cheeks, and a spiky crest stretches along the entire spine, making the animal look like a small emerald dragon. It happens that females also have a crest, but not so large and not so pronounced. The sex of the animal can also be determined by the color of the throat - in males it is brighter.
Lifestyle
Water agama has a unique gift for such a large animal - the ability to run on the surface of the water. In case of danger, she always rushes to the pond and tries to hide from the predator in the water. It moves freely through trees with strong fingers and strong claws.
These animals are friendly and sociable. Agamas rarely show aggression and never attack first. But a novice terrarium should remember that agamas are fearful, excessive stress is contraindicated for them. Anyone who cannot arrange comfortable conditions for the pet risks losing it.
Between themselves, water agamas communicate using gestures. Scientists have noticed that males shake their heads, caring for females, and sometimes the same gesture may indicate a willingness to protect the territory. Agamas rarely fight, but before the mating season they can arrange demonstrative fights, however, not too dangerous. The "performance" of the fighters begins with a bloating throat. Usually it does not reach physical contact; it ends with mutual threats and intimidations. The sharp flapping of the tail indicates that the lizard is disturbing and worried. But wave your paws - this is a greeting signal that signals friendliness.
Peace-loving by nature lizards are not at all defenseless. In case of danger, agamas can stand up for themselves. Sharp claws and teeth will certainly go into action if the frightening bloating of the throat is not enough.
Like many other lizards, agamas can fold their tail. It goes to the predator, so that the victim can have time to escape. Later, a new tail grows on the agama, but not as long and bright as the first.
Breeding
Agama clutch can have up to 20 eggs. Babies are born after about 70 days. Newborn lizards reach a length of 15 cm, with 10 of them falling on the tail.
Young animals are not colored so intensely, the bellies of the young can be completely white.
A conscientious owner with sufficient knowledge about the content of water agam can successfully obtain offspring at home. In captivity, the mating season falls on December-January. The masonry needs a temperature of 30 ° C. Feed young animals laid by insects.
Terrarium arrangement
Lizards that have grown in nature take root poorly in urban apartments. Such agamas experience tremendous stress, lead a sedentary lifestyle, sometimes lose their appetite and quickly wither away. But the children born in captivity feel great in the terrarium. If the owner knows how to care for the water agama, and is ready to arrange good conditions for the pet, the lizard can live at least 15 years (this is more than the average life expectancy in the natural environment).
These beautiful animals can be kept exclusively in the species terrarium alone, in a pair or in a small group. If you want to have several agamas at once, choose one male and two or three females. In nature, these lizards are non-aggressive, but in the limited space of the terrarium, two males will certainly begin to divide the territory. Too many females are also undesirable, strong individuals will begin to oppress the weak.
The lizard needs a spacious horizontal terrarium 2 m long, about a meter wide and at least 1.2 m high. If you plan to contain several agamas, add another half of the indicated volume for each individual.
It is vitally necessary to organize a reservoir in which the agamas could not only wet their paws, but also swim and dive. Water must be very clean, it is not enough just to change it daily, a cleaning system is also needed.
You will also need snags that the agamas can climb. Places to relax above the water should be spacious, at least one and a half times wider than the body of the pet. Use a mixture of sand and earth as a substrate. Experts do not recommend adding gravel and small stones, since agamas sometimes take them for food. The air in the terrarium must be moistened daily with a spray gun; Planting of decorative living plants also contributes to maintaining moisture.
During the day, the agamas will feel good at a temperature of about +30 ° C, at night you can lower it to +25 ° C. For lighting and heating, a special UVB lamp is used (it is advisable to purchase a model designed specifically for reptiles). Remember that at least once every six months you need to change the bulbs.
Agamas are fed insects, which can be purchased at pet stores, plant foods, and chopped vegetables and fruits. You can offer the pet leaves of lettuce, dandelion. Many agamas grown in captivity also like apple, pear, cucumber, papaya, mango and peaches, but these products must be grated.
A novice breeder should understand that homemade agam maintenance is not cheap. If the budget seems overwhelming, it’s worth picking up another pet, as saving on equipment and feed without affecting the life of the animal will fail.