I'm not so big, 60 cm overall, but a big male can reach 75 upto 90 cm (2.5-3 feet). 2/3 of it is tail. My female is somewhat smaller and slighter then me (60 upto 75 cm / 2-2.5 feet). The general color is gray to grey-brown above, with dark brown and white bars along the body and tail. My belly is turning pinker every year cause I'm a male, but the youngsters and my wife have a yellowist-brown belly. I've got a black bar from my eye over my ear down to my neck. And I'm very adapted to water, 'cause my nostrils and eyes are placed very high on my head. Not only is my sping chrest bigger, also my colors are brighter. We both have a row of femoral pores along the inner surface of our thighs, but in my case these are much bigger.

Due to the Australian government's policy of not allowing any native animals to be exported, I'm very rare found in terrariums. But thanks to some European and Northern Amerikan breeders, I'm getting more availible.

My family lives in Eastern Australia, from east Victoria in the South, up to Princess Charlotte Bay in the North. We don't live in New Guinea so the ones sold as Australian waterdragons from New Guinea are probably smuggled from Australia to New Guinea and then exported.

The climate differs a lot, the coldest temperatures from 13°C to even -4°C and the rain from 500 mm a year up to 2030 mm. The only resemblance is that in this part of Australia the temperature is over 24°C for more then 6 months. We need a 2 month rest/winter periode to bring us into breeding condition. We also need permanent water like creeks (billabongs) or rivers.