Intellagama lesueurii

Australian Water Dragon

Rocks, branches and the water's edge are all stopping places.

Reference photo, not the individual on display. Credits appear below.

Care commitment Plan for adult size

Habitat Land & water

Visiting Watch quietly

Meet your new acquaintance

Nickname Waterside Wanderer

Diurnal; climbs and swims well

Species highlights

A tail built for water

The tail is more than long: compare top and side views to see its flattened profile. Sideways movement helps drive the animal through water.

On land the same tail remains part of posture and balance; one body changes its movements between two media.

Watching resting tail position, a bank crossing and voluntary swimming explains the mechanism better than waiting for a dramatic plunge.

Feature sources:

Australian Museum · Australian Water Dragon

At a glance

Australian water dragons are day-active lizards of eastern Australia, linking land, trees and water. Riverside branches and rocks provide basking sites, while water offers an escape route. The laterally flattened tail helps with swimming, and the limbs also support climbing.

A riverbank offers basking surfaces, shade and water at different temperatures. Changing position is part of thermoregulation, not a preference for one fixed reading.

Diet includes animal and plant resources, while females dig nests on land. Limbs support walking and climbing, the flattened tail assists swimming, and breathing still requires air. Crossing the bank connects these facts in one movement.

Common names Australian Water Dragon; Intellagama lesueurii

Scientific name Intellagama lesueurii

Native rangeEastern Australia

Adult sizeOften about 60–90 cm total length

ActivityDiurnal; climbs and swims well

Diet Balance supplemented insects with suitable leafy plants according to age and condition. Maintain clean water, and avoid replacing a varied diet with fruit or fatty feeders.

Habitat & care

Provide substantial land and water areas, secure branches, UVB, local basking and filtered water with easy access to the bank.

Values guide routine care, not breeding or brumation. Dimensions are length × width × height for one adult unless stated otherwise; larger animals need more space.

TemperatureBasking surface About 35°C Daytime air 25–30°C; night 20–25°C.

HumidityLand & water The cited table gives no single RH value. Maintain airflow, clean pool water and a platform for resting fully out of water.

LightingUVB & shade Choose UVB intensity and distance for the species, with a fully shaded retreat.

Space180×90×180 cm Recommended one-adult starting recommendation; fit a full-body pool with a gentle exit, stable branches and a dry platform.

Look a little closer

Compare the dorsal crest with the tail: the tail looks deeper from the side and narrower from above. Watch toes and claws grip a bank or branch. If it enters water, compare tail strokes and limb movements with its movements on land.

Care note: Leave an open retreat route rather than crowding the bank.

About this profile

Size ranges are reference values; sex, origin and age affect appearance.

Profile status: Reference profile · Reviewed 2026-10-20

References (4)

Photo: Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:AndrewMercerIMG_5585_Australian_Water_Dragon.jpg CC BY-SA 3.0 · Original image, credit and licence

Behaviour notes describe the species, not a promise about every individual. These care notes introduce its needs; ask our team about the animal on display and any supervised encounters.