Hi! Long time reader, first time writer, blah blah blah....
Anyway, I've had my bearded dragon Crowley for a little over a year now (January 5th, 2013). I purchased him when he was about 2-3 weeks old (the seller said 2-3 months, but he was at most 4 1/2 inches nose to tail!) and our time together has been slightly bumpy but wonderful overall! (Might I add, the bumps were always smoothed over by help of this forum
)
I live in Northern California, and the weather has been really shifty lately. We had a blistering hot summer, and around October it finally started cooling off. Late October was also the time Crowley became lethargic and began sleeping a lot. Eating less, pooping less... Eventually in early November I realized (with sadness) what was happening and prepared his enclosure for brumation. It's now late January and Crowley is still dead asleep.
I bathe him once a week or so, much to his distaste. Upon removal from the shirt I have him wrapped up in, he cracks open his eyes and tolerates his bath with a black beard. As of recently, I might dangle a piece of food in front of his face but he pays it no attention, instead choosing to glare at me with a look of "you should have let me sleep." I'm a little frightened for my safety, to be honest.
Through the "cold snap" we had in December, I understood why a cold blooded reptile such as himself would want to sleep the chill away, but now it's growing warmer (late 60's, early 70's) and I wonder- why is he still asleep?
Let me say- I've just checked the weather, apparently for the next week it will be chilly, with temperatures in the low 60's. But before then, weather has been in the 70's, which I think would be a dramatic enough change to wake the little guy.
He lives in my room full time. The coldest my room gets is probably in the low 60's (to my dismay, I dig the cold temps.) The warmest (at this time of year) is probably 75-78. The coldest in his terrarium is 64-69. I keep a blanket over his cage because I don't want him to be disturbed by my light. I do not keep his heating or UV light on, as I find it a bit redundant, though if my fellow beardie owners find it necessary to turn the heating lamp on, I will gladly. I realize I'm probably doing several things wrong.
To get on with the point, is this amount of time passing normal when it comes to beardie brumation? From what I've already read, it seems to be their instincts that put them to sleep and wake them up; there's nothing you can really do to speed up the process.
So, I understand that's it's a bit ridiculous for me to ask, but is there anything I can do to speed up the process?
I miss my little lizard.
Anyway, I've had my bearded dragon Crowley for a little over a year now (January 5th, 2013). I purchased him when he was about 2-3 weeks old (the seller said 2-3 months, but he was at most 4 1/2 inches nose to tail!) and our time together has been slightly bumpy but wonderful overall! (Might I add, the bumps were always smoothed over by help of this forum
)I live in Northern California, and the weather has been really shifty lately. We had a blistering hot summer, and around October it finally started cooling off. Late October was also the time Crowley became lethargic and began sleeping a lot. Eating less, pooping less... Eventually in early November I realized (with sadness) what was happening and prepared his enclosure for brumation. It's now late January and Crowley is still dead asleep.
I bathe him once a week or so, much to his distaste. Upon removal from the shirt I have him wrapped up in, he cracks open his eyes and tolerates his bath with a black beard. As of recently, I might dangle a piece of food in front of his face but he pays it no attention, instead choosing to glare at me with a look of "you should have let me sleep." I'm a little frightened for my safety, to be honest.
Through the "cold snap" we had in December, I understood why a cold blooded reptile such as himself would want to sleep the chill away, but now it's growing warmer (late 60's, early 70's) and I wonder- why is he still asleep?
Let me say- I've just checked the weather, apparently for the next week it will be chilly, with temperatures in the low 60's. But before then, weather has been in the 70's, which I think would be a dramatic enough change to wake the little guy.
He lives in my room full time. The coldest my room gets is probably in the low 60's (to my dismay, I dig the cold temps.) The warmest (at this time of year) is probably 75-78. The coldest in his terrarium is 64-69. I keep a blanket over his cage because I don't want him to be disturbed by my light. I do not keep his heating or UV light on, as I find it a bit redundant, though if my fellow beardie owners find it necessary to turn the heating lamp on, I will gladly. I realize I'm probably doing several things wrong.
To get on with the point, is this amount of time passing normal when it comes to beardie brumation? From what I've already read, it seems to be their instincts that put them to sleep and wake them up; there's nothing you can really do to speed up the process.
So, I understand that's it's a bit ridiculous for me to ask, but is there anything I can do to speed up the process?
I miss my little lizard.
