JPG: Stories: The Project: Water Dragons up close and personal

The Project

Water Dragons up close and personal

By Dirk HR Spennemann

15 Dec 2008

In the middle of Australia's Capital Canberra lies a green oasis of peace and tranquillity. The Australian National Botanic Gardens provide a plethora of stimuli for the visitor, from the Indigenous Plant Walk to the Rainforest Gully, from the Eucalypt lawn to the systematic plantings of Australian trees and shrubs. Clearly, as the name implies, the gardens will well and truly appeal to the plant lovers. But the plants create a habitat for animals and one can see all sorts of birds, from white winged chaffs and Australian magpies (both of which are prone to raid your plate of cake if you're not looking) to wattle birds and a wide range of Australian parrots.

Compared to the birds which are constantly on the move, there are also a number of other residents that that much more sedate: water dragons. With their scales, skin folds and crest they truly resemble prehistoric animals. And as such, they are incredibly photogenic.

Water dragons are semi-aquatic lizards that like to sun themselves on the rocks near bodies in of water. At any sign of danger the water dragons will jump into the water and swim away or dive. Fortunately, the water dragons at the Australian National Botanic Gardens are less fickle and somewhat used to visitors. When approached slowly they will do, what many water dragons and bearded dragons do: remain totally still. Only the eye moves. Doing so they somehow assume they can not be seen. While this may work for predators it is a boon for photographers. If you move VERY slowly, you can get closer and closer to the animals, taking real close-ups. I would recommend that you shoot frames as you creep closer. Only when you're getting too close for their comfort they'll run.

For the main image of this story I was lying flat on my belly pushing myself forward with the tips of my toes. Thus I got as close as 20 cm (8 inches) before he split.

WHAT: Gippsland Water Dragon ( Physignathus lesueurii howittii Family: AGAMIDAE) and Eastern Water Dragon ( Physignathus lesueurii lesueurii ). Water dragons can grow up to 1m (3 feet) in length. They have a grey-green upper body a with cream and black transverse bands on the body and tail. The underside of the body is creamy brown-grey. Water Dragons have loose folds of skin under the jaw. The Eastern Water Dragon can be distinguished from the Gippsland Water Dragon by a dark stripe from ear to eye.

WHERE: Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra ACT Australia. In the garden beds and pond near the cafe; the pond and beds near the Tasmanian Gardens; the pond and beds near the rock garden.

WHEN: from mid-Spring to mid-Autumn (winter dormancy for the rest if the year).

IDEAL TIMES: Early Mornings, when they warm up for the day and the evenings when they come back to the rocks. On overcast days they may be sluggish and thus even better as subjects for photography.

BAD TIMES: middle of hot days; rainy days (they shelter under plants and rocks).

VOTE: Should this story be published in JPG?