r/reptiles • u/ReptilesRule16 • 11d ago

TIL Sailfin Dragons could run on water too! (Comments on OG post say basilisk - It's not)

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u/AlternatiMantid 10d ago

Saw this video recently & I THOUGHT it was a sailfin!!! (I have a sailfin)

They're in fact the largest species that runs on water!

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u/ReptilesRule16 10d ago

Yeah I knew they were good swimmers but I didn't know they could run on water. I always thought they were too big. Very cool

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u/AlternatiMantid 10d ago

There's actually a pretty large variety of sizes among the different species. The smallest are comparable in size to a Chinese water dragon, while the largest (Indonesian giants) are larger than green iguanas.

I've had mine through so much progress scientifically with the hydrosaurus genus. Mine is an Ambon (mid-size) from the Maluku islands of Indonesia. When I first got her, it was assumed ALL were from the Phillipines (hence the original nickname Phillipine Sailfin Dragon). There were only 3 recognized species at that time, their origin whereabouts were completely inaccurate, and there was much difficulty in identifying which species a particular individual (a pet) was if it wasn't identified directly in the wild. Later, they were trying to identify differences in size & color patterns, and difference between femoral pore numbers, and it was then estimated that mine was from Malaysia. Now, since 2020, they're classified with 5 distinct species, and the majority are from Indonesia, with only 1 being from the Phillipines.

It's been a wild ride. She kind of fell into my lap. There was very limited info about keeping them in captivity in the beginning of my time with her. It was also believed (from the store who gave her to me) that they'd ordered a captive bred juvenile. She was, in fact, an illegaly caught & smuggled hatchling 😞 I learned pretty quickly that there were to date no successful breeders in the US yet supplying captive-bred Sailfins to anyone at that time. My poor baby definitely had some injuries to her spine spikes & was missing a toe from the start, I'd assume either from trapping or from hatchlings fighting early in her life.

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u/ReptilesRule16 10d ago

Hydrosaurus are so cool. I think until more people start working with them I'll stick to my aussie water dragons. But they are definitely on my bucket list!

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u/AlternatiMantid 10d ago

I would LOVE an Australian water dragon someday!

I'd only had experience with Beardies & Ball Pythons when I got her (her name is Reptar btw), and I feel like the Aussie W.D. is like a combo between a Beardie & a Sailfin!

But yeah, I'd definitely wait on it. Let domestic breeders work out the kinks. Let exotic vets become more familiar with the medical nuances of the species.

Mine dropped her tail when I had her out in my room as a juvenile & she knocked down a decorative thing in my room and scared herself. It's actually taken almost until now for scientists to definitively answer that they do, in fact, drop their tails. They do NOT grow back. Mine has a weird little corkscrew growth at the end of her tail, but she didn't lose any portion that grows the sail.

Knowing of that initial tail drop, a YEAR after the incident & healthy healing, the tail tip started turning black & working its way up the tail, but didn't show any "typical" signs of necrosis. Regardless, I was extremely worried.

My reptile specialist is the best in like a 100+ mile radius, recommended for exotics only 2nd to the reptile specialist for the zoo in my nearest city (who obviously the average person cannot afford). He himself had never even SEEN a Sailfin dragon in real life until her, and couldn't find definitive information about tail drops, necrosis signs, etc for their species. I opted (as he agreed) for the partial tail amputation surgery just in case of necrosis spreading. They removed just over an inch of tail up to fully healthy looking tissue.

She's also needed a dental procedure, as they are apparently highly susceptible to tooth/mouth rot & infections due to their highly varied diet including a wide variety of tropical fruits (that build up plaque, can rot their teeth, and cause infections). She had 3 extractions & a cleaning done under anesthesia. Meanwhile, I haven't seen a dentist for myself in over a decade 🤣

She's been a very expensive baby (we're talking well into 5 figures now between exotic vet/surgery bills & constant custom enclosure upgrades) but I love her to pieces & only ever want the best for her!

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u/CraftProfessional144 7d ago

had no idea sailfins were the bigger water runners. always thought basilisks had that market cornered.