Brumating for five months?

[Beano2002]

I live Australia, and my male Pygmy Bearded Dragon stopped eating, being active, and started sleeping all the time about mid May, so late Autumn for me. He slept all through winter (I got him up once a week for a bath and drinking, and offered him food), but he is still sleeping now, and it is almost the second month of Spring. For a lot of the time, I kept his lights off, and a blanket covering his viv, but I turned the lights back on about a month ago. I just want to know if this is normal for some to sleep this long, or if I should take him to the vet.

He lives in a 900mm*600mm*600mm wooden vivarium (because he is a Pygmy)
He has a 10.0 UVB bulb covering his entire cage
He has a 100 watt basking lamp over his basking spot


Thanks, Ben.

 

[CooperDragon]

Have you been tracking his weight? I'd bring him out to offer some water and get a weight reading. Long brumations aren't unheard of so it's not necessarily a problem as long as he hasn't lost too much weight or depleted his fat stores too much. I leave the lights running on normal schedule during brumation.

 

[Beano2002]

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I took him out this morning and checked his weight, and no, he has not lost any weight. In fact, he has gained some since the last time i checked him (I probably shouldve checked right before he went into brumation, but its his first time so im pretty inexperienced). Glad to hear that a long brumation is not a problem.

Thanks, Ben.

 

[CooperDragon]

OK that's good news. Keep checking in but mostly leave him to do his thing. He should be OK.