📸 PhotoPhoto: Rushenb · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons Source
Chinese Water Dragon
Physignathus cocincinus (Chinese Water Dragon · インドシナウォータードラゴン)
💡 Everyday Comparisons for Size, Mass & Speed
- 💡 A typical length of 1 m is about the length of an umbrella (about 1 m) (Comparison).
- 💡 It is commonly traded as a pet, has been recorded spreading as an introduced species in Hong Kong, and shrinking waterside habitats are also a concern (Smithsonian's National Zoo).
Reference standards: coach bus ~12 m, mid-size car ~4.9 m, compact car ~1 t, basketball hoop 3.05 m, credit card 8.56 cm.
📖 1. Overview
The Chinese Water Dragon (Asian Water Dragon) is a green lizard living near water in Southeast Asia and southern China that is skilled at both climbing trees and swimming.
🦴 2. Anatomy & Morphology
It usually measures about 1 m in length, with the tail making up about 70% of the body length. Females are slightly smaller than males, and newly hatched young measure about 2.5 cm in head-and-body length and 13–15 cm in total length.
🔍 3. Ecology & Behavior
In the wild, it preys on rodents, birds, fish, and invertebrates, and also eats plants and eggs. When a female lays 6–15 eggs, they hatch after 60–75 days.
🇰🇷 4. Connection to Korea
No direct record connecting this species to Korea has been found.
📚 Sources & References
- • IUCN Red List VU (2019) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/104677699/104677832
- • IUCN Red List category VU — latest assessment at iucnredlist.org
- • catalogueoflife.org — 4HH84
- • iucnredlist.org — 104677832
- • wikidata.org — Q740576
- • commons.wikimedia.org — File:Chinese Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus) - Khao Y
- • nationalzoo.si.edu — asian-water-dragon
- • reptile-database.reptarium.cz — species
- • Silhouette: PhyloPic — Natalie Claunch · CC0 1.0 (Related taxon silhouette — Agama agama)
Recorded dimensions are widely cited representative estimates from public literature and may vary by study or specimen.