Brumation spring summer?!

[Nicolove]

My beardie (“lil Bean”, aka Frances Bean) is a 14 month old, female, I know I am covering the bases with generally recommended care: enclosure 4’x2’x18” with a 36” t5 Acadia uv tube light and basking 90-95, 77-80 on cool side, tile flooring no substrate. She normally eats greens everyday topped with various fruits & veggies and superworms every other day just a couple dusted with calcium. She liked crickets for a short time then didn’t care for them. Well in March she ate a ton then started sleeping in for a couple days then pooped alot march 19th and went to sleep and had only woken up once (April 26th) by me being concerned I took her out bathed her and she ate and basked for the day and pooped, then went back to sleep and has been sleeping a few more weeks. She will crack her eye open if I talk to her so she wakes easily but seems annoyed and will often change her position and go back to sleep. My questions are: is it normal to brumate in spring summer?? Are there any things I need to do/not do? She’s maintaining her weight around 430 grams as of April 26th and although I have not weighed her, she doesn’t look smaller and the base of her tail is still thick. She seems fine health wise if she is brumating, but it’s not the typical season so I’m concerned and for how long will/can this go on especially where it’s now summer? Her tank lights are on a 12 hour timer. Thanks for the advice. Ashley

 

[KarrieRee]

My beardie (“lil Bean”, aka Frances Bean) is a 14 month old, female, I know I am covering the bases with generally recommended care: enclosure 4’x2’x18” with a 36” t5 Acadia uv tube light and basking 90-95, 77-80 on cool side, tile flooring no substrate. She normally eats greens everyday topped with various fruits & veggies and superworms every other day just a couple dusted with calcium. She liked crickets for a short time then didn’t care for them. Well in March she ate a ton then started sleeping in for a couple days then pooped alot march 19th and went to sleep and had only woken up once (April 26th) by me being concerned I took her out bathed her and she ate and basked for the day and pooped, then went back to sleep and has been sleeping a few more weeks. She will crack her eye open if I talk to her so she wakes easily but seems annoyed and will often change her position and go back to sleep. My questions are: is it normal to brumate in spring summer?? Are there any things I need to do/not do? She’s maintaining her weight around 430 grams as of April 26th and although I have not weighed her, she doesn’t look smaller and the base of her tail is still thick. She seems fine health wise if she is brumating, but it’s not the typical season so I’m concerned and for how long will/can this go on especially where it’s now summer? Her tank lights are on a 12 hour timer. Thanks for the advice. Ashley

Hi Ashley I would get her surface basking temps up to 95-100 taken w/a digital probe thermometer -- your UVB does it run the whole length of the tank? If so it could be shes hiding from the UVB -- how old is the bulb and is she doing any basking at all? Dragons can brumate at any given time but to me its odd for summer time -- normally its fall / winter - we need to figure out if its the husbandry causing the sleeping - also what does her poop look like -- possible parasites maybe? You could take a fecal in to have it tested just to rule that out ---- please take it in NO enemas ---

 

[Nicolove]

Hi Ashley I would get her surface basking temps up to 95-100 taken w/a digital probe thermometer -- your UVB does it run the whole length of the tank? If so it could be shes hiding from the UVB -- how old is the bulb and is she doing any basking at all? Dragons can brumate at any given time but to me its odd for summer time -- normally its fall / winter - we need to figure out if its the husbandry causing the sleeping - also what does her poop look like -- possible parasites maybe? You could take a fecal in to have it tested just to rule that out ---- please take it in NO enemas ---

It runs three quarters of the tank and she is on the same sIde as it is on but in her hide. It’s about 5 months old and is a 12 month bulb 12% t5 Arcadia. It is on top of her tank because the mesh is bigger holes not window screen like. She does not bask at all when she sleeps she just changes position once or twice per day. When she pooped it looked fine good urate and green poo.

 

[KarrieRee]

It runs three quarters of the tank and she is on the same sIde as it is on but in her hide. It’s about 5 months old and is a 12 month bulb 12% t5 Arcadia. It is on top of her tank because the mesh is bigger holes not window screen like. She does not bask at all when she sleeps she just changes position once or twice per day. When she pooped it looked fine good urate and green poo.

Keep an eye on her weight- make sure the uvb is 8-10 inches directly above the basking decor - and let her do her thing- you can get a kitchen food scale and weigh her in grams- if she's losing weight I would get her into the vet- I would weigh her every 2 weeks-

 

[Nicolove]

Keep an eye on her weight- make sure the uvb is 8-10 inches directly above the basking decor - and let her do her thing- you can get a kitchen food scale and weigh her in grams- if she's losing weight I would get her into the vet- I would weigh her every 2 weeks-

I have one, I will weigh again tomorrow since I have not in about 4 weeks but she looks good. When I take her out and she is not so impressed, should I also try to encourage food and water and basking or put her right back?

 

[KarrieRee]

I have one, I will weigh again tomorrow since I have not in about 4 weeks but she looks good. When I take her out and she is not so impressed, should I also try to encourage food and water and basking or put her right back?

Leave her out see what she does- you can offer her food - keep her hydrated - drop water on her nose see if she will lick -