Agriculture Bureau,New Taipei City Government
Agriculture Bureau,New Taipei City Government
Chinese Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus)
The Chinese water dragon (Physignathus cocincinus), also known as the Asian water dragon, is a semi-aquatic lizard with excellent climbing ability. It is native to the eastern Indochina Peninsula and nearby regions. The adult male lizards can grow up to 95 centimeters in total length.
Due to the bright green color and the resemblance to the green iguanas, young water dragons are popular pets and have been imported for the pet trade. However, as they grow, they become aggressive and having large appetites, often result in the abandonments.
Chinese water dragons are primarily carnivorous and highly predatory toward small animals.They can disrupt local ecological balance severely unless they are removed. The dietary analysis shown that they prey on earthworms, snails, crabs, various insects, centipedes, millipedes, lizards, blind snakes, fish, and shrews—posing a threat to the survival of native species.
Young Chinese water dragons appear very cute, which makes them attractive pets. But as they grow larger, more aggressive, and harder to manage due to their voracious appetite or unadorable likeness, they are often abandoned by owners. This irresponsible behavior and poor awareness about exotic pet careness are the root causes of their presence in the wild as an invasive species. To prevent further ecological harm, owners must be discouraged from abandoning Chinese water dragons.
The New Taipei City Government has commissioned professional teams to conduct monitoring, investigation, and removal operations in areas such as Ankang in Xindian and the Hongshuixian Stream area (Linkou and Bali), working to control the spread of this invasive species and protect the habitats of native wildlife.
