# My new friend.



## ianinoz (Oct 18, 2011)

Another visitor I've made friends with.

A young eastern water dragon who visited me yesterday. 







Yes I was stroking it on the head and the lizard was only resting on my open hand, I was not restraining it, but I was quietly talking to it while I was stroking it. I seems to like this.





Very handsome lizard.

I guess I have the knack with lizards.

Would love one day to be able to handle Lizzy like that.


----------



## Fang101 (Oct 18, 2011)

Congrates on the new friend. Yes you certainy must have knack with lizards


----------



## saximus (Oct 18, 2011)

Definitely subscribing to this one.
They do seem to like you/your house. Do you live near bush?


----------



## Fiamma (Oct 18, 2011)

Awww so cute you are both very lucky


----------



## tyler97 (Oct 18, 2011)

that is a nice looking friend you got there!


----------



## dihsmaj (Oct 18, 2011)

Not trying to be a buzz kill or anything but isn't it illegal to interfere with wildlife (touch, hold etc)?
If it is, it's a bit of a stupid law, but I'm just curious.

VERY nice EWD by the way. I'd love to hold one like that.


----------



## PeppersGirl (Oct 18, 2011)

What a handsome dragon!

It's lovely when spring comes around, just this morning I walked out our front door to rustling - one of the water skinks came running down the wall to the closest branch he could reach waiting for 'breakfast'! It's great to see them all again after the long cold break


----------



## Justdragons (Oct 18, 2011)

cool.


----------



## Scalez108 (Oct 18, 2011)

i just love water dragons.


----------



## JAS101 (Oct 18, 2011)

Snakeluvver3 said:


> Not trying to be a buzz kill or anything but isn't it illegal to interfere with wildlife (touch, hold etc)?
> If it is, it's a bit of a stupid law, but I'm just curious.
> 
> VERY nice EWD by the way. I'd love to hold one like that.


sure is but the OP knows that .


----------



## kawasakirider (Oct 18, 2011)

Who cares if it's illegal to touch wildlife? It's not like he's hurting it. Feeding is something I'm on the fence about and can see an issue with.

The only thing I REALLY see an issue with, is the fact that the animal is supposedly there because it's choosing to be, yet the pictures show that it's clearly restrained, as if it has been caught... I doubt a young wild lizard would just jump onto a humans hand without training.

Not saying that I care if it was caught either, it just conflicts with what was said in the original post. I've caught bluetongues for photo ops. As long as it's let go, I don't see the issue. TONS of herping pics on here show people picking stuff up, or there are pics where the animal has obviously been picked up and placed/herded into an area for a photo op.


----------



## Cockney_Red (Oct 18, 2011)

Lizard Whisperer....


----------



## Jeffa (Oct 18, 2011)

I hope the two will never meet, otherwise bye bye Lizzy!

I respect the respect for nature that you have but at the end of the day its all about the food chain.

Cheers and keep us posted.


----------



## ianinoz (Oct 18, 2011)

Pretty cool how it closed it's eyes while I was gently stroking it on the top of it's head and side of it's head, only cat naps mind you, and in a minute or 2 the eyes would be open and it would be alertly looking around.

If thing was being held, it was my thumb. 
Didn't seem to mind getting rubbed gently under the chin with my thumb either.

I'm now very conflicted, I'm not sure which sort of dragon I like the most - beardies or EWDs. Beardies can be like this too. 

Was a very nice experience. Hope this lizard comes back for another visit soon.


----------



## sagara_cp_2006 (Oct 18, 2011)

Gorgeous. I would love to live somewhere close to wildlife. However the closest I have, are annoying birds that sit in the trees making our dogs bark.


----------



## ianinoz (Oct 18, 2011)

Jeffa said:


> I hope the two will never meet, otherwise bye bye Lizzy!
> 
> I respect the respect for nature that you have but at the end of the day its all about the food chain.
> 
> Cheers and keep us posted.



Lizzy paid a visit at lunch time, had fun letting her chase and catch a few medium crickets that I gave her one at a time under an inverted MT mealworm tub, after I gave her one by hand. I'm more concerned about the local cats getting her when she's outside doing her own thing than the occasional EWD. More cats about than EWDs.


----------



## GeckPhotographer (Oct 18, 2011)

I highly doubt an EWD would eat a full grown EWS. It might happen but it would be fairly rarely, I see them sitting on the same rock at the same time around my place. (I figure it's the best rock).


----------



## Bluetongue1 (Oct 18, 2011)

EWDs tend to be extremely wary at all ages. I would agree that this is “all about the food chain”.... they don’t want to end up in a lower position on it than they currently occupy.

In my experience, young EWD’s are also very curious. If you sit quietly near a rocky area where they hang out, they will eventually emerge and start eyeballing you from the safety of a nearby retreat. Then they will start checking out any other movement in the area, like insects or birds, whilst keeping a regular eye on you. Sit quietly for long enough and they may even go back to chasing insects and all but ignore you –from a safe distance.

_*Ianinoz*_,that level of interaction is extremely rare. Somehow the lizard has come to regard you as no potential threat – most unusual. Enjoy it for what it is – something very special. We, on the other hand, can only wonder why while we enjoy your experience vicariously (with a hint of envy). 

Blue

PS. No need to have a favourite dragon. Enjoy both for their own uniquness and individual attributes.


----------



## Jeffa (Oct 18, 2011)

love the fact you can appreciate these animals on your own property! love your passion and appreciate it. well done.


----------



## shortstuff61 (Oct 18, 2011)

Cool photos, and nice looking dragon. I wouldn't mind seeing some videos of this interaction.


----------



## ianinoz (Oct 18, 2011)

shortstuff61 said:


> Cool photos, and nice looking dragon. I wouldn't mind seeing some videos of this interaction.



Sorry - have no video camera, think I can get short vids on the 40D but I've never tried. 

Have a new grandson 5 1/2 months old and I would love to get videos of him as he develops. You only get this stuff once.

So I think if I can swing it, a nice videocamera is going on the top of my wishlist for Xmas.


----------



## Nighthawk (Oct 18, 2011)

Handsome wee fellow; you do seem to have a bit of a way with them


----------



## ianinoz (Oct 18, 2011)

PeppersGirl said:


> What a handsome dragon!
> 
> It's lovely when spring comes around, just this morning I walked out our front door to rustling - one of the water skinks came running down the wall to the closest branch he could reach waiting for 'breakfast'! It's great to see them all again after the long cold break



No doubt about them - EWSs are wonderful lizards and they do seem to respond to kindness, food treats and they are SO INQUISITIVE about everything and when they learn trust you they are great little friendly lizards.
Still a bit cool here today, only reached 21C and the breeze was cool. BRING ON THE WARM WEATHER, I want all my resident and visiting lizards happy, warm and frisky.

ANOTHER DAY :
Another visit . 

I was sitting quietly on my front steps takingin some UV and giving an occasional food treat to my resident EWS's as they showed up to see whats on offer, and hoping for another visit from Lizzy's baby, when he turned up. Not interested in eating any mealworms though. Next time I might toss him a dead thawed out large cricket.

He's (or she's) a very nice lizard.
Here's another photo of this sweet little EWD.






I'm toasty warm (babies love cuddles from me - built for comfort not for speed), works for the EWD too.


My wife was bailed up by a bluetongue when she went to do some shop therapy today while heading to the shops.


----------



## ianinoz (Nov 2, 2011)

The little friendly EWD has been hanging about. Seems to really like foraging about in my little wild patch under my big tree and basking on my front patio.

I've scored an unwanted kiddies clam shaped wading pool that I'm planning on installing in the grassy wild area between my big tree and the shrubbery, just got to dig the hole to put it in. Then I'll go and collect some pond plants (reeds and pond weeds and some tadpoles and maybe a few water bugs), this will give the EWD and my resident EWSs somewhere to swim and bath, and a bit of luck it'll attract some dragon flies and frogs to my front yard. (Yes I know I need to cook the tapwater in a big container in the sun for a few days to get rid of the chemicals added by the water corp).

My resident bluetongue has shown up, it's hanging out in my garage mostly, is a bit shy.

Lizzy is still with us (and she's become really hungry lately).

So is Scrapper (he's been raiding the strawberry punnet feeding stations and managed somehow to get stuck inside (he was inside completely) and looked pityful and in dire need of rescuing the other day. He didn't appreciate the punnet being picked up with him inside and showed he knew how to get out as he was out in flash and hid under the aircon. He's surprisingly heavy, easily 2 or 3 times heavier than Lizzy, I've handsurfed her a few times.

The baby EWS is still hanging about near the aircon and flower bed, VERY SHY.

I've also become reaquainted with the big old lady EWS who lives in my garage, she's very happy to accept wormy food treats that I toss onto the floor for her and she's got no problems with taking them from right at my toes and didn't take more than 2 worms to figure out what was happening and to start watching me in expectation of another yummy treat coming her way. I think she's very intelligent, she's been a friend for several years and I've often encountered her when in my mancave and if I put anything on the floor she comes right up and investigates it. I've never chased her and I don't think she is scared of me, .

A few more adult EWSs have cottoned onto the food treat stations I've set up for lizards in my backyard and under the house too, and are now showing up daily too even though I don't replentish the food treat stations every day. They are doing a great job controlling the redbacks and other spiders and the cockroaches and the ants. Green pest control that's FREE.

Love having so many lizards about. They've all got individual personalities too.


----------



## PeppersGirl (Nov 2, 2011)

Good on you for making the place lizard friendly  Just make sure they can get in and out of the water easily. I woke up one morning to a southern water skink that had spent the night in our pond and couldn't get out, he was fine in the end but I wouldn't reccomend it! 
We also have a pet blue toungue that we take outside for some sun, and he slides into the pond at any opportunity he can get!


----------



## dihsmaj (Nov 2, 2011)

ianinoz said:


> collect some pond plants (reeds and pond weeds and some tadpoles and maybe a few water bugs)


Can't collect wild tadpoles mate.


----------



## GeckPhotographer (Nov 2, 2011)

> Can't collect wild tadpoles mate.



Can't translocate. Relatively recent amendments mean those under the age of 18 can collect tadpoles to view the process of metamorphosis as long as they are re-released within a short amount of time of turning into frogs. Or at least that's what I was told by someone that should know fairly well.


----------



## ianinoz (Nov 2, 2011)

PeppersGirl said:


> Good on you for making the place lizard friendly  Just make sure they can get in and out of the water easily. I woke up one morning to a southern water skink that had spent the night in our pond and couldn't get out, he was fine in the end but I wouldn't reccomend it!
> We also have a pet blue toungue that we take outside for some sun, and he slides into the pond at any opportunity he can get!



That's one of reasons why I want to install some native reeds in it, as well as providing habitat for insects and frogs, and somewhere to hide for them, they'll provide a means for the lizards to climb back out. I've got some loose bark on the ground under my big bluegum that I can partly immerse in the water , more hides for frogs and they'll probably bask on the bark.


----------



## richoman_3 (Nov 2, 2011)

ianinoz said:


> That's one of reasons why I want to install some native reeds in it, as well as providing habitat for insects and frogs, and somewhere to hide for them, they'll provide a means for the lizards to climb back out. I've got some loose bark on the ground under my big bluegum that I partly immerse in the water , more hides for frogs and they'll probably bask on the bark.



are these frogs local to your area though?


----------



## ianinoz (Nov 2, 2011)

Snakeluvver3 said:


> Can't collect wild tadpoles mate.



Thanks for letting me know but I really don't much care about that restriction and I'll simply take a nephew with me to make nice nature experience outing of it. As if anyone is going to ask who collected the tadpoles and water bugs and reeds and water weeds.

I also know plenty of freshwater fishermen who collect their own tadpoles to use as live bait for fresh water fish. They've never been hassled over this by anyone in authority.

I wont be doing the collecting from any national parks, these will be from farm land or a roadside runoff empoundment.

I'll collect and relocate/release them to the pond (yes I also know you need to emerse the plastic bag the tadpoles are in in the pond for a while so they don't get shocked by the sudden change in temperature (will probably kill them)) - they'll be local tadpoles and it's not like I'm going to keep them in any kind of enclosure, they'll remain wild and any frogs that I get will be wild and free to come and go as they please too. The resident EWSs and the little EWD will probably make snacks of some the tadpoles and water bugs too once they discover they are there. 

Last summer I discovered an old 4by tire I had up against the back fence was full of rain water and there were some tadpoles in it. Didn't have the wading pool then else I would have installed them in it. So I know frogs do visit my suburbian property sometimes (especially in the warmer wetter part of summer). I'd put it there for the resident bluetongue to have use off. 

Old used 4by tires make great basking spots and hides for lizards. Got a few under the house (that I kept as spare spares over the years - tread still OK) and I'm sure the resident EWSs make good use of them.


----------



## GeckPhotographer (Nov 2, 2011)

The metamorphed frogs must be returned to the exact body they were taken, the tadpoles cannot be translocated. Just build the pond and let the frogs find it, I gaurantee if they found the tyre they will find the pond once it establishes itself.


----------



## ianinoz (Nov 2, 2011)

richoman_3 said:


> are these frogs local to your area though?


Yes. 
We get a few types of frogs here (mostly hear them rather than see them) in the hotter wet summer months (Jan-Mar) each year. We also get green tree frogs visit from time to time. (There is a creek only a few hundred metres away and a bushy strip of land that runs the length of my street on the other side of the street ( I wish my block backed onto it )). 
The frogs love my clump of banana trees and that's were I usually find them.


----------



## Australis (Nov 3, 2011)

ianinoz said:


> Old used 4by tires make great basking spots and hides for lizards. Got a few under the house (that I kept as spare spares over the years - tread still OK) and I'm sure the resident EWSs make good use of them.



They were mosquito larvae, not tadpoles. 

This guy told me! He claimed to be lizzy's uncle.


----------



## GeckoJosh (Nov 3, 2011)

Lol


----------



## ianinoz (Nov 3, 2011)

Australis said:


> They were mosquito larvae, not tadpoles.
> 
> This guy told me! He claimed to be lizzy's uncle.



Hard to tell if he's a he or a she from the side.

But that's a gloriously long tail on that very handsome EWS.


----------



## Australis (Nov 3, 2011)

Guess i will just have to take his/her word for it. I guess there are both honest and dishonest individuals in any skink species :|


----------



## crocdoc (Nov 4, 2011)

ianinoz said:


> I also know plenty of freshwater fishermen who collect their own tadpoles to use as live bait for fresh water fish. They've never been hassled over this by anyone in authority.


They would if they were caught. Moving frogs/tadpoles around or even just catching and releasing them in the same spot is a risky practice in this day and age from an environmental point of view:

Here's a useful link: 
Environment & Heritage | Frog Chytrid fungus



Environment NSW said:


> Only touch frogs when absolutely necessary. Remember to use disposable gloves, sample bags and sterile equipment.
> 
> Never move a frog from one area to another.


----------



## MathewB (Nov 4, 2011)

It's my understanding that when a lizard closes its eyes that this is done in fear etc.

Nonetheless I'm jealous of your lizard home


----------



## snakeynewbie (Nov 4, 2011)

I find that surprising mathew, unless they wer playing dead. My blue tongues and beardies will chill out on me and close their eyes quite frequently while doing so. My experience with the water dragons at work is that when fearful they run like the blazes mor try to turn and bite you, certainly don't just lay still.


----------



## ianinoz (Nov 7, 2011)

My little EWD friend is my front yard right now. Love watching him just doing his lizard thing.

I'm thawing out a couple of big gutloaded crickets for him, I'm sure he'll enjoy them when I toss them to him if he's still here when they are thawed out.


----------



## snakeluvver (Nov 7, 2011)

MathewB said:


> It's my understanding that when a lizard closes its eyes that this is done in fear etc.


Or its sleeping?


----------

