The rankins dragon is a more advance reptile to keep mainly due to them needing a large environment. However, they are surprisingly docile and do make good pets. So, if you want to keep a rakins dragon as a pet, what do you need to know about rankins dragon care?
Large Environment
The first thing you need to know is that they need a large environment. Rankins dragons grow to be about 3 feet long, but they can get up to 5 feet long in their lifetime. Because of this, you will need a large tank or enclosure for them. You should also remember that the rankins dragon is active and can jump, so you will want to make sure that your enclosure is escape proof.
Providing the Opportunity for Basking
When it comes to rankins dragon care, you will also want to make sure that the enclosure has an area for them to bask in sunlight. Rankins dragons are nocturnal and like basking in the sun during the day as well as at night time. Make sure that your rankins dragon has a place to bask that is shady as well as sunny.
Plants for their Enclosure
The next thing you need to know about rankins dragon care is that they need a lot of plants in their enclosure. Rankins dragons are omnivores and eat plants, insects, small mammals, and even birds from trees. They will eat almost anything they can catch and kill. So, you will want to make sure that your rankins dragon has plenty of plants in their enclosure so they can have something to eat besides your pet birds or other small pets.
Swimming in their Water Dish
Rankins dragons also like to swim and spend a lot of time swimming in their water dish. Because of this, it is important that you have a large water dish for your rankins dragon so they can swim in it. You will also want to make sure that your rankins dragon has a place to bask in the sun and shade.
Opportunities for Climbing and Perching
Rankins dragons love to climb and perch on high places such as rocks, branches, and even the walls of their enclosure. So, you will want to make sure that you have a lot of perches for your rankins dragon so they can feel safe and comfortable in their enclosure.
Aggression during Mating
Rankin’s dragons are very aggressive when it comes to mating. They will actually try to kill each other during mating season which is from March thru June. This is why you should only keep one male or female at a time in their enclosure because the male or female is going to be killed if you keep two together.
They can be escape artists!
Rankins dragons are also known to be very good escape artists. Because of this, it is important that you have a good secure enclosure for them so they can’t escape. They are also known to be very fast when they run and can easily jump over small fences and walls so you will want to make sure that your enclosure is at least 4 feet tall and has no gaps in the fencing.
What to feed your Rankins Dragon
They feed on fish, frogs, birds, lizards and small mammals. In captivity they will eat crickets and mealworms as well as other insects such as grasshoppers. Rankins dragons are not venomous but their teeth can be quite sharp so care must be taken when handling them.
If you would like to know more about Rankin’s dragon, feel free to check out this link: Rankins Dragon and Rankins dragon diet
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