Hunger Strike!

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beardedlady1

Hatchling Member
I have no idea what to do right now. My bearded dragon has been on a four-week hunger strike. He's obviously eating something though because he's pooping. But he does not have the enthusiasm like he used to when I would put down his vegetables. The lighting is right the temperature is right everything is right but he is wrong and I don't know what to do. I recently changed up his food menu to see what else he likes and kind of went with an Asian Flair of bok choy red chard and collard greens... He would not touch that food all of his greens have rotted. So now I'm at the grocery store because I know that he does like dandelion leaves so I'm going to buy the fool some dandelion leaves. Has anybody else had their lizard go on a hunger strike like this before? I'm running out of ideas. He won't eat fruit he won't eat vegetables he won't eat his superworms and he won't even run after crickets... So I don't buy him crickets they end up just running around and then drowning themselves in his water bowl or they end up eating each other until there's one super Cricket left over and then it dies. His superworms I normally put in the bottom of his food dish to make his vegetables move and he finds that very fascinating and ends up eating the whole thing. But lately he won't even touch it or look at it he just sits on his basking Rock and sits there. Or he goes into his Hideaway cave and will sleep in his Hideaway cave for about 5 days straight. I don't know what to do.
 
I hope your little one eats soon. I bought my guy organic kale in a bag and he wouldn’t eat either then it hit me that that was the only thing I did different plus he started shedding. I hope that helps. Did you maybe try changing his bedding?
 

beardedlady1

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
kingofnobbys":7rjppcoe said:
Are you absolutely sure the UV and temperatures are indeed correct ?

What is the UV light (exactly) and how is installed and how old is it ?

I suggest double checking everything and working through this flow chart (guide) : viewtopic.php?f=6&t=236150&p=1815390#p1815390


Yup totally sure It's good.... Its all good. He's just acting odd. I followed the flow chart. And stopped at he's trying to brumate.... Wth is that?
 

beardedlady1

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Ok so I googled brumation and yeah that's what it is. I just picked him up and put him in front of his food before I googled....I walked back in and he's asleep in front of his bowl. Yup. So I turned out his lights for the night and put him in his cave. I'll turn the lights back on in the morning of course. But now that I know what it is I don't see any point in leaving the lights on if he's going to be sleeping in his hole. Oh boy its been 4 weeks how long does this normally last.
 

VenusAndSaturn

Sub-Adult Member
Its best to leave the lights on during the day, if it is burmation a 12 hour period of light should be minimum.
Sometimes burmation can last only 3 months, while others can last up to around 6 months.
Currently my male came out mid January for a few weeks, head bobbed etc at my female across the room before going back to sleeping more. Now off and on he naps most the day, basically on month 6 now for him, I assume once it starts warming up more he wont be sleeping as much, but where I am it doesn't start getting warm till around April or May.
 

beardedlady1

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
I had no idea this was even a thing lol I thought he was angry at me for not having dandelion leaves. I even told my mom Friday "I have to go find out of season dandelion for the ***** whose on a hunger strike" lmao now I feel bad for saying that. ????? at least I know now he's acting like a normal lizard. He's a rescue. I know nothing about lizards and my ball python never did this. It's a learning experience for sure. It makes me happy knowing I've done him right and he's finally behaving normally.

Now I just gotta keep it up. Although if he's not eating should I stop putting food in till the weather warms up in June or keep refilling every day just in case he snacks when I'm not around..... I just bought 3lbs of mustard greens thinking he just didn't like my original food choice. Lol

I live in Florida its always hot here. Flip flops 365 days. But the weather here gets hot hot June- September. (like miserable hell hot) I don't even know why he bothers hibernating here lol natural instinct I guess.
 
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