Brumation?

[rattazzios]

So Boise is just about a year old. She is only about 14 inches but is not underfed. She has all the proper lighting at the right temps. She eats about 100 Lg Phoenix worms daily. She eats mustard greens and dandelion leaves every 4 days or so. sometimes more sometimes less. I recently noticed that she has become a slower eater and isnt as active inside of her tank. She just lays around in the same spot for hours (not necessarily in the basking spot. She only poops 1-2x a week unless she is put into the bath tub. She is still very friendly and warms right up to me so i was wondering if this is BRUMATION? some signs lead to it but others dont. Any suggestions? Does anyone think Boise grow any bigger? any changes in her diet?

 

[rattazzios]

bump

 

[Soulwind]

It could be a "mini" brumation. Q has been doing something very similar and she's just about a year old too.

The "level" of brumation that they go through varies from dragon to dragon, and sometimes even from year to year.

Just keep her hydrated with regular baths (although if she's sleeping a lot and not eating much you can also slow down the baths to just 1x or 2x per week), and offer her food when she's awake or after a bath (and after-bath warm up time). She'll eat if she wants to [if she does make sure she basks for awhile and give her another bath within a few days to make sure she poops too].

Keep an eye on her weight and as long as she's not losing much (or any), then try to not worry too much till spring. Hard I know, but try.

And yes, I'd expect her to keep growing. They slow down a lot at about a year, but keep growing (more filling in than length, but some length) until about 2. They actually never really stop completely but they do slow way, way down after 18-24 months.

 

[rattazzios]

ALright thanks for the help

 

[mortitia]

100 large pheonix worms a day? isn't that rather a lot?

 

[rattazzios]

100 large pheonix worms a day? isn't that rather a lot?

some days she eats them all, other days she doesnt. I put them in before school so she has food all day because some days i dont get home until her lights are out.