Gippsland water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howittii)

Short answers

Gippsland water dragon: How big does the enclosure need to be?

200 × 100 × 200 cm as the lower limit for a pair, better 250 × 150 cm floor area; at least a third of that as a swimmable water area.

Gippsland water dragon: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 26–30 °C, basking spot 32–38 °C, at night 18–22 °C.

Gippsland water dragon: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (10–12 %).

Gippsland water dragon: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 20–25 years, individual animals longer.

Gippsland water dragon: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

26–30 °C

Night temperature

18–22 °C

Basking spot

32–38 °C

Humidity

60–70 %

UVB

Essential (10–12 %)

Enclosure

Minimum size

200 × 100 × 200 cm as the lower limit for a pair, better 250 × 150 cm floor area; at least a third of that as a swimmable water area

Substrate

Terrarium soil or forest floor plus a large water basin

Feeding

Food

Omnivorous: insects, fish, small vertebrates plus plant food

Feeding interval

juveniles daily, adults 2–3×/week

Key facts

Adult size

up to ~90 cm

Life expectancy

20–25 years, individual animals longer

Origin

South-eastern Australia (Gippsland / Victoria, southern NSW)

Protection status

— (no CITES; an Australian export ban)

Brumation

A cooler overwintering of several weeks (more strongly adapted to cold)

Cohabitation

A pair or group with one male; do not cross them with the eastern subspecies. The reason: several males fight over territory and the warm spot until one is injured or spends its life in a corner. Females usually get on, but each needs its own warm spot and hide; feed them separately once they differ in size.

Notes

A more southerly subspecies, adapted to cold and more sensitive to heat – keep it a little cooler than the eastern form. It lacks the dark eye stripe; do not cross it with lesueurii.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Eastern water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii lesueurii) – Intermediate
• Australian water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii) – Intermediate
• Chinese water dragon (Physignathus cocincinus) – Intermediate
• Eastern bearded dragon (Pogona barbata) – Intermediate
• Bent's spiny-tailed lizard (Uromastyx benti) – Intermediate
• Bintang mountain horned lizard (Acanthosaura bintangensis) – Intermediate
• Blue-headed tree agama (Acanthocercus atricollis) – Intermediate
• Boyd's forest dragon (Lophosaurus boydii) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Gippsland water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howittii) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (200 × 100 × 200 cm as the lower limit for a pair, better 250 × 150 cm floor area; at least a third of that as a swimmable water area), substrate (Terrarium soil or forest floor plus a large water basin), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.