Do Water Dragons Interact with Humans?

There are those pets that will interact with humans, such as cats and dogs. But what about something like a water dragon? Will this be a type of pet that you could have some fun with? Or is it simply an animal that should be observed rather than handled?

Do Water Dragons Like to be Handled?

The good news for reptile lovers is that water dragons actually do enjoy being held. Indeed, many experienced keepers say that regular handling actually helps to prevent these lovable creatures from becoming aggressive.

Water dragons are docile reptiles and are unlikely to become stressed out when handled. They are actually quite interactive and have engaging personalities. Moreover, when it comes to reptiles, these are one of the more popular choices because of how active and entertaining they can be. For the uninitiated, these creatures like to swim as well as climb upon ledges or branches in their vivariums.

How to Correctly Handle a Water Dragon

If you are new to water dragon keeping, you will likely be keen to get your new pet into the habit of being handled. The earlier you start handling a water dragon, the better. So while it is important to get your dragon familiar with you, taking care is crucial to ensuring that you do not hurt it.

A baby water dragon will naturally be nervous when you approach. So try to ease in by first trying to feed it from your hands. If you do this daily, the water dragon will wait for you to approach because it knows that this signifies food. Over a little time, it will eventually begin to move towards you for the food.

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Once your baby water dragon has become used to eating from your hands, you can try to lift it up. To do this correctly, you should use both of your hands and place them underneath the water dragon’s stomach area. Support its chest and head with the base of your hand. Do not try to restrain it if it becomes stressed or restless. Instead, place it gently back into the vivarium and try again the following day.

If the dragon is happy for you to hold it, do so for between ten and twenty minutes each day. Always be gentle with it as this will make it calmer and allow it to get used to your touch.

Are Water Dragons Dangerous?

Those with little knowledge or experience of water dragons will often ask whether these creatures are dangerous. Although there are obviously those reptiles that are dangerous to humans and are consequently not suitable as pets, the water dragon is very docile and makes for a fabulous house pet when cared for properly.

They might be aggressive with other water dragons but, when it comes to humans, the water dragon is actually very friendly.

Do Water Dragons Bite Humans?

Water dragons have a friendly temperament and enjoy being handled. However, if they feel threatened, their response may be to bite or whip their tails. If you get a water dragon as a baby and get it into the habit of regularly being held gently, as described above, you are unlikely to ever experience such behavior.

However, if you get an older water dragon that is not used to being handled, it would be best to take care when attempting to hold it. Be gentle and approach it slowly without any sudden movements. Use the same approach that you would when taming a baby water dragon and try to feed it from your hands for a few days until it gets used to you and its surroundings.

Photo Credits:

• Featured Image (Gippsland Water Dragon): JJ Harrison (https://www.jjharrison.com.au/) – This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
• Chinese Water Dragon: Alvesgaspar – This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
• Basking Australian Water Dragon: MusikAnimal – This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
• Eastern Water Dragon: Quartl – This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.