Brumation! PLEASE HELP!

[GialovesOllie]

Hello! Thank you for taking time on my question! So I have a female Bearded Dragon and her name is Olive (Ollie), in 3 days she will be 8 months old at about 20 inches. I have had her all her life. Her estimated birthday is Feb. 4 2011 because I got her at a local PetSmart.She is also my first Bearded Dragon, I got her when she was a month old and 4 inches. She has never been to the vet and I don't really plan on taking her. She has never had any severe health issues. Since it is Fall now and it is getting cooler and colder outside she has been very sleepy. She usually eats around 30 crickets a day, and I feed her Kale and Collard Greens, which she LOVES! Now she is eating about 10-15 crickets a day or less and about one bowl of her greens.Also she doesn't poop daily she could go about 2 days without going... is that normal? But when she does it looks and smells (aha) fine. She does hide now more often and she goes under her tree even more (even though she barely fits aha) now a days. She never has any stress marks, and when I mean never I mean NEVER, not since the first week I had her! Everytime I take her out to play in the living room she either finds a spot on the couch to snuggle in (usually under my leg) or she jumps off the couch and hides and sleeps under the couch. Every night she gets wrapped up in a little blanket, and she usually wakes up before me... but now she is still sleeping or still in her blanket and I have to actually take her out of the blanket and to get her warmed up and everything. I heard that they usually do this when their a year old.. but she is almost 8 months.I have no idea what to do if she is.I'm not sure if she is Brumating or anything she is my first beardie and I have never went through brumation so I have a few questions.

1) is she actually in brumation?
2) does this seems normal at 8 months?
3) what should I do if she is?
4) should i be concerned?

PLEASE HELP! I'm getting a little worried. She is actually sleeping right now. Please resond A.S.A.P

Thanks,
a worried mommy

 

[Kalyn876]

Hello, it is rare for a dragon under 1 year to brumate but it does occasionally happen. If you could gO over the basics of your set up: UVB, temps (basking & cool side), substrate, size of crickets just so we can better help

Kalyn

 

[GialovesOllie]

Hello, it is rare for a dragon under 1 year to brumate but it does occasionally happen. If you could gO over the basics of your set up: UVB, temps (basking & cool side), substrate, size of crickets just so we can better help

Kalyn

Hello thanks for your help! She has a Repti Sun 10.0 UVB light and a basking light. Her warm side is usually around 100-110 degrees and cool side around 80 degrees. She is on brown reptile carpet. Crickets are about the same lenght of the space between her eyes. So what should I do? I'm so confused!

 

[Kalyn876]

How old is the UVB? Have there been any changes in her viv/surroundings recently?

They sure love to make us worry!

Kalyn

 

[GialovesOllie]

The UVB bulb is about 3-4 months old, not really sure. Yes, we got her a HUGE log instead of the little baby one. I also rearranged her caged about 2-3 months ago. Don't they! I wish they could just talk to us mommys & daddys so we dont get worried aha! Do you think she is in brumation? She finally woke up!

 

[Kalyn876]

If you changed the basking log within the last 1-2 weeks it could have been relocation stress, beardies hate change lol I'm glad she's perked up for you!

Kalyn

 

[GialovesOllie]

Aha me too! She is basking at the moment, and I rearranged the cage about 2 months ago. But do you think she is brumation? I still have no answer about the girl! aha

 

[AHBD]

I think she'll be fine. Perfectly normal behavior when it gets cooler, even though she's a younger dragon, because she's close to adult size anyway. As long as she's of good size and had good health beforehand, I wouldn't worry. Sometimes it's just sporadic periods of dormancy at first , before the real brumation.

 

[GialovesOllie]

Thanks! So what should I do about her now, should I let her sleep? When do I feed her? Should I not wake her up? But now when the real brumation comes I will have no idea what to do... I guess just let her sleep. But when do I feed her during the real brumation? Will she awake herself to get fed? Ahg! So many questions! Thanks for your help!

 

[Kalyn876]

I'm not sure if you've already read it or not but there is a great brumation article in the care sheet section. It helped me out a lot.

Kalyn

 

[GialovesOllie]

Thanks with all your guys help! I think I'm pretty educated on my little girl's sleeping time!! :lol: I just read the article! Thanks so much!

 

[Bwalter]

I have the same problem with my 10 month old girl. Sleeps more and eats less, but keeping the weight on good. I thought maybe it was the UVB bulb, it was only 4 months old, but got a new one. I have read the story on brumation and I think thats what she is doing off and on. She seems to have her bright colors most of the time, but I still worry about her.

 

[GialovesOllie]

Yeaahh!! Of course, they always make us worry! I hope she has a successfull brumation!