"Dragons of Mykolaiv Zoo" – that's what we called a series of educational articles about the animals of our zoo dedicated to the symbol of the New Year 2024. You can see all of them by visiting Mykolaiv Zoo.

This article will tell you about another real Chinese dragon – the Chinese water dragon.

Chinese water dragon is a large, up to 1 meter long, lizard that lives in the tropical forests of Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Vietnam, and southern China. The lizard has a very impressive appearance: it is bright emerald in color with patterns of lighter and darker shades; a toothed "dragon" crest stretches from the nape of the neck to the base of the animal's tail. It is believed that the saturation and brightness of the color of the water dragon can change depending on the temperature of the environment and the emotional state of the animal. This coloring perfectly camouflages the lizard among the juicy tropical greenery.

And this little dragon was named the water dragon because the animal can often be seen in water bodies. In case of danger the lizard jumps from the branches into the water, where it swims and dives perfectly. It is a fast and mobile animal that lives in small groups.

The Chinese water dragon eats insects, other invertebrates, small rodents, fish, little birds, plant food.

These impressive reptiles can be seen in Mykolaiv Zoo in a terrarium located in a warm exhibit room of the primate department.