# Mountain Dragon care sheet.



## betchern0t (Jan 19, 2011)

Hi,
some of you may know that the licensing laws in Canberra are a little draconian. One thing that is probably a good idea although like everyone I curse when I have to do it is the requirement to submit a husbandry plan before you can own a particular reptile. 

I am attempting to get licensed for Mountain Dragons. In my research I found some information but it was all over the place - no specific care sheet. I have written my husbandry plan as a care sheet and would welcome feedback on its content. Note before starting this I know nothing about this dragon so this is from many people and sources.

I hope that this information will also help others....

Cheers Paul

---------- Post added 19-Jan-11 at 01:02 PM ----------

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }a:link { } *Common:* Mountain Heath Dragon

*Scientific:*
Rankinia Diemensis (current) AKA
Tympanocryptis Diemensis AKA
Amphibolurus Diemensis


*Size*: up to 18cm total length, 8cm snout vent length.

*Food: *Small insects and other invertebrates. Ants make up a large part of their diet.

*Habitat: *South Eastern Australia's dry forest regions 


*Life Span: *Generally stated as 2-4 years but there is some discussion as to whether this is skewed by specimens taken from the wild. In Tasmania, enthusiasts can still collect specimens from the wild legally. Certainly captive specimens have been known to survive six years or more. Breeding tends to stop at around 3 years.


*Enclosure: *Myenclosure is built from varnished pine with a melamine back. This is because the specimens are to be housed in an existing entertainment unit. The enclosure is a converted shelf. All pine apart from the top is tiled with ceramic floor tiles. There is a small strip of the same tiles along the bottom of the melamine back for decorative reasons.


The front of the enclosure has a lip 40 mm high mainly to retain any substrate when the doors are open. Two sliding glass doors running from the top of the lip to the top of the enclosure are made of 5mm glass. They are secured by a sliding glass lock that when cinched up ensures that the two panels cannot move by accident.


The enclosure takes up half of one shelf in the entertainment unit giving dimensions (wxdxh) of approximately 500x270x300mm which is sufficient for about 2 adults.


*Heating, Humidity and Lighting: *This reptile, living in dry forest regions in the wild, requires little extra humidity. Water will be available at all times for drinking in the cool end of the enclosure.


During summer the hot end air temperature should be 25[FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]°[/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif] [/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]- [/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]28[/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]°[/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif] C. Basking spots, which tend to be always hotter than base temperatures [/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]should be [/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]30 - 35[/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]°[/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif] C or even 40[/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]°[/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif] C. Cool end [/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]should be [/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif] [/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]15[/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]° [/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]- [/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]20[/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]°[/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif] C. [/FONT][FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]These temperatures can be further tuned by observation. Cold mountain dragons tend to a dark coloration. In addition, the reptile should use both ends of the enclosure to thermo-regulate.[/FONT]


[FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]During summer the enclosure will be lighted 12 hours, During winter 8 hours.[/FONT]


[FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]The enclosure is equipped with a thermostatically controlled heat cord behind a wall tile at the hot end – 15watt, 3m shared between two identical enclosures. A low watt basking light – 20watt mini spot - is provided onto a basking spot - rock or branch. A UVB 10% micro flouro will also be included.[/FONT]


[FONT=Liberation Serif, serif]The temperature gradient is measured at three points and tuned to the temperatures above. Temperature measuring will be done by a two location thermometer (basking and cool end) and the probe on the thermostat which will measure the tile. The thermostat in use reports both the set temperature and the temperature at its probe.[/FONT]






*Furnishings: *For the substrate, initially, I will use sheet paper: newspaper, butchers or other. As the lizards grow I expect to use shredded office paper. Alternatives I would use include nothing – the tank itself is tiled, reptile carpet or synthetic turf.


A water bowl will be provided at all times. Hides will be provided at both ends of the enclosure as will a variety of rocks and branches of about the same width as the lizard's body.


*Food: *They will eat just about anything they can catch that will fit in their mouths, including flies, crickets, woodies, freshly molted mealies, baby locusts and most other small inverts.


Crickets and woodies are readily availablehttp://www.herpshop.com.au/. Eventually I will be maintaining a woodies colony to provide base diet. Insects will be dusted with a quality vitamin, mineral and calcium powder such as Vetafarm Multical every second or third feed. During the warmer months feeding will be every second day stretching to once a week to ten days during winter.


Both crickets and woodies can take up residence in the enclosure because they are not caught at feeding time. This can cause issues with them nibbling on the reptile while it is asleep. This problem can largely be removed by including in the enclosure a bowl of insect food.

---------- Post added 19-Jan-11 at 07:26 PM ----------

I really do want corrections on this. I would hate to be pulled up or lose livestock... Someone must know more than me....

Cheers Paul


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