AZA Zoo Improperly Houses Reptiles

ZJBDragon · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 54 Location: Westminster, MD

SOURCE:
http://www.repticzone.com/forums/Pythons-Burmese/messages/1670266.html

The Burmingham Alabama Zoo, an AZA institution, has been caught housing a python and Chinese water dragon(s) together. It is the understanding of myself and many other people over at RepticZone that the python will eventually view the water dragon as prey and it will make an easy meal. I know pythons normally hunt at night and search for heat, but I also know it takes quite a while for a water dragon to cool off after basking, assuming it hasn't jumped right into the water before sleeping. I think this is a poor housing arrangement. It's like putting rabbits in a tiger cage. I think they got the idea after seeing Aussie water dragons basking atop crocodiles at Australia Zoo. However, a python and a crocodile have differently shaped mouths, agilities, and movement speeds that make this caged environment more dangerous for the Chinese water dragon. Futhermore, the Aussie water dragons at Australia zoo are wild and are not display animals unlike these captive Chinese water dragons.

Since the AZA is consistently lecturing people about "wild" animals it's now our turn to lecture them on how to properly care for reptiles without endangering their lives. Furthermore, that kind of substrate is not good for a water dragon. It almost looks like they went an asked Joe register clerk at the pet store for advice on setting up their display cage.

Pictures have been reposted below.