THE REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS OF AUSTRALIA - DRAGONS (AGAMAS)

GIPPSLAND WATER DRAGON
Intellagama (was Physignathus) lesueurii howitti

Note that this is a subspecies of the AUSTRALIAN WATER DRAGON (Intellagama lesueurii)


Photo above is of an adult Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) taken at the Canberra Botanic Gardens


  
Note that there are a few populations of Water Dragons (Intellagama lesueurii) found in the Mt. Lofty Ranges, South Australia, which are believed to be feral.

Note that the Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) is found in the Southern part of the range of the Australian Water Dragon and lacks the distinct black eye stripe in adults, although they may have a black stripe behind their ear.

The Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) is a common species found in Southeastern Australia. It is often kept as a pet and is very easy to breed.


Adult Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) photographed in the ACT

Photo above is of an adult Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) taken at the Canberra Botanic Gardens


Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) photographed on Black Mountain Peninsular (Lake Burley Griffin), ACT

Adult Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) photographed on Black Mountain Peninsular (Lake Burley Griffin), ACT - Notice that it does not have a distinct black stripe behind its eye, but it does have a black marking behind its ear.


Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) taken at the Abercrombie Caves, NSW



Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) with a fading eye stripe taken at the Abercrombie Caves, NSW



Photo above is of a captive Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) taken at Gow's Reptile World (closed) Humpty Doo NT



Photo above is of an adult Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) taken at the Canberra Botanic Gardens where they are common.

Photo above is of a sub-adult Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howitti) taken at the Canberra Botanic Gardens

This subadult Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howittii) above was photographed at the Adelaide Zoo, South Australia. It has shed its skin on part of its tail exposing the new skin. Note that it does have a faint eye stripe.

The two sub-species of the Australian Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii) cross readily in captivity so should not be kept together. Besides being illegal to cross sub-species in some states, crosses may be hard to classify when juveniles, and adult crosses are not as colorful as either species. Apparently intergrades do occur naturally in the wild.