dragonslivehere

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The Burmese python is native to Southeast Asia much as the name suggests. They are the 5th largest snake in the world, some reaching 200lbs and 20 feet though rare. They are "gentle giants" and are popular in the pet trade due to their personalities and unique color and pattern variations. This one pictured is a Granite Het Albino male who we have named Bagheera:)

#reptile #snakes #animalfacts #Burmese #Python

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Campylopterus pampa by Oleg Chernyshov

[dragonslivehere]

There’s a species of salamander that is entirely female. They reproduce by stealing genetic material from males of other species and cherry-picking what genes they pass on to their daughters.

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This is Ziggy, she is a Chinese Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus) Chinese Water Dragons, or Asian Water Dragons are part of the agamid lizard family. They can be found throughout mainland Southeast Asia and China, though Ziggy was born in captivity. We purchased her in December of 2017 from a local breeder. She was tiny when we first got her (around 10 inches from nose to tail.) but now measures at around 2 feet long from nose to tail. Their length is made up of about 1/3 body and 2/3 tail. That’s a lot of tail! Though nowhere near as large or strong as an iguana, they can and will tail whip if frightened. Ziggy is pretty mellow, for a Water Dragon. She tolerates handling very well, and loves to roam around our “reptile proof” room that we have her enclosure in. She has a somewhat fickle personality though, the closest I can come to describing it is cat-like. Everything has to be on her terms. Though not considered large in comparison to some other species (iguana, monitor, tegu ect.) they still require plenty of space, especially to climb and swim. Water Dragons love to climb, almost more than they like to swim. Lots of branches, vines and plants are a must. Due to their love of climbing they also have some pretty sharp nails, that unfortunately are NOT retractable. Wearing long sleeves when these lizards get bigger is a good idea to protect your skin. These guys like it humid as well, so open air cages are not recommended unless you rig up a water resistant/mold resistant cover for the outside, and have a fogger/humidifier set up. All in all I consider keeping Water Dragons to be very rewarding. I love their personalities and how “prehistoric” they look. I would not recommend them for beginner keepers, you should have some experience before considering one of these lizards. Also always do your research, and remember that most reptiles live longer than your average cat or dog. (15-20 Years for Water Dragons)