05/31/2023
✨ Then and now 🐉
Although Ruckus is best known for working with Crested geckos, I actually very much enjoy working with a variety of Asian species that I grew up with, saw in the wild, and which peak my enthusiasm, such as Vietnamese Blue Beauties, Rein Rat Snakes, and Chinese Water Dragons.
I had the very good fortune of stumbling across this male Chinese Water Dragon at NARBC Tinley last autumn. As the species had been pegged for CITES, I took the chance to pick up this boy.
He wasn’t in the best shape, but that’s the gamble one takes with a wild-caught animal. As much as I was racked by guilt in purchasing him for a meager $40, I thought that I might be able to contribute some good by helping to boost captive-bred specimens.
Knowing that they would become more scarce within the community, and rapidly so, I took the chance on him, and I am so glad that I did. With a little TLC, a quality diet, a spacious Zen Habitats enclosure (whose enclosures are expandable!) and a little patience, this little one has flourished in 7 months.
Kumandra is the most handlable of any Chinese water dragon I’ve had the pleasure of keeping, and he is the proud father of 8 eggs currently incubating. If all goes well, they should hatch sometime in mid-July, and his female, Namaari, is currently eating as much as I’ll allow her. She looks as though she may lay more eggs in another 15 days.
I’m a stout believer that if one can, one should try to do some good. I’m not anticipating any money to be made from my dragons. Much like Beardies, you’ll likely spend far more in raising them than you will in selling them, but if I can at least help other captive breeders of this wonderful species diversify their bloodlines, I’ll be a very happy Em.
