Aliceandgus
Member
Hello everyone
I am letting my 2 yr old bearded dragon brumate for the first time. He was showing all the signs: reduced eating, sleeping in the day, going to bed earlier etc. I took him for a parasite check and he is clear so I reduced his lights and temps over a week and then when he went to the toilet I fully turned them off.
He has been in the dark for 4 days and I checked on him today and he isn’t asleep. His head is up, not completely alert but certainly not in his sleeping position. He also hasn’t crawled completely into his cave, he is just half in half out. Is this normal? I don’t want to keep him in the dark if he isn’t actually brumating in case he gets sick?
What do people think? Shall I keep him in the dark or should I turn his lights back on?
Background info:
He eats calcium dusted crickets and hoppers 2-3 times a week, veggies offered daily (mostly spring greens and rocket).
Directly under his basking spot is 39c and the hot end generally is 30-35C and the cool is 26 - 30.
His uv b is the Arcadia t5 14% Strip light at the hot end and the 10% version at the cool end. Replaced every 6 months.
Lights on 13 hours a day which I reduced to 10 in the build up to turning them off
His tank is 180cm x 90 x 90
He is 645g
Vet says he looks healthy
I am uk so we are well into the winter now but it took a while to get him checked at vet and parasite result back.
Thanks!
I am letting my 2 yr old bearded dragon brumate for the first time. He was showing all the signs: reduced eating, sleeping in the day, going to bed earlier etc. I took him for a parasite check and he is clear so I reduced his lights and temps over a week and then when he went to the toilet I fully turned them off.
He has been in the dark for 4 days and I checked on him today and he isn’t asleep. His head is up, not completely alert but certainly not in his sleeping position. He also hasn’t crawled completely into his cave, he is just half in half out. Is this normal? I don’t want to keep him in the dark if he isn’t actually brumating in case he gets sick?
What do people think? Shall I keep him in the dark or should I turn his lights back on?
Background info:
He eats calcium dusted crickets and hoppers 2-3 times a week, veggies offered daily (mostly spring greens and rocket).
Directly under his basking spot is 39c and the hot end generally is 30-35C and the cool is 26 - 30.
His uv b is the Arcadia t5 14% Strip light at the hot end and the 10% version at the cool end. Replaced every 6 months.
Lights on 13 hours a day which I reduced to 10 in the build up to turning them off
His tank is 180cm x 90 x 90
He is 645g
Vet says he looks healthy
I am uk so we are well into the winter now but it took a while to get him checked at vet and parasite result back.
Thanks!