Bearded dragon or water dragon?

Question

a series of questions.

1) whats cheaper?

2) whats lower maintenance?

3) whats more energetic?

4) what has a larger food variety(diet)?

5) what looks better?

btw im Australian i live on the gold coast. summers hot winters cold this yr...amazingly!

i already have a heater and thermometer but not a tank or light, any advice on stores on the gold coast or brands of anything all will be appreciated cheers.

Answer 1

very similar reps, beardeds dont need such a big water area though, thats the big advantage. I personaly think a yellow or red phase bearded are better looking lizards.

Answer 2

i think that water dragons are way prettyer than bearded dragons but bearded dragons are ok the bearded dragon is alot cheaper and they do need a really big cage serous

Answer 3

ok i would recemend bearded dragon because they dont need an aquarium you can find them at most pet stors and they are cheaper but water dragons are by far way more beuatifle than bearded dragons

Answer 4

id go with a beardie, not only do they eat crickets but theyll eat fresh fruits and veggies. also they are very energetic, they get fairly large and you cantake them out of the cage when they are used to you. i have found that its often easier to keep it dry in a cage rather than wet(beardies require a dry habitat.

Answer 5

Good to see another Aussie reptile lover on the site! =)

[ 1 ] Water dragons are cheaper but not by much, it also depends on the age of the animal, older ones being more expensive. The average cost for a hatchling water is about $50, while hatchling beardies go for about $70.

[ 2 ] About the same. Both require a fairly large enclosure as adults, heating, UVB lighting, regular feeding, cleaning of soiled areas etc. Water dragons also prefer more 'furniture', things to climb and hide behind. They need access to a large pool of water, big enough to fully submerge in - this needs to be cleaned daily. They also require a higher humidity level than beardeds.

[ 3 ] They are roughly the same in this area too, although water dragons tend to be alot more shy than bearded dragons so might like to hide more often. Also bearded dragons are much more happy to be handled and be out of the enclosure with you, and more 'social' in general.

[ 4 ] Their diets are very similar, both require a range of insects (crickets, mealworms, woodies etc) and a variety of greens / vegetables.

[ 5 ] Well this is up to you really, different people like different things. Keep in mind bearded dragons come in a range of colour morphs too, for example red, orange and yellow.

For more in depth information here are some links to care sheets :

Water Dragons :

- http://www.mark.org.au/pages/cs_waterdra...

- http://www.petplace.com/reptiles/caring-...

- http://www.anapsid.org/waterdragons.html

- http://www.reefandriver.com.au/water%20d...

Bearded Dragons :

- http://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/ca...

- http://www.caresheet.com/bearded_dragon....

- http://www.sundialreptile.com/care%20she...

- http://www.reptilesaustralia.com.au/foru...