I need brumation info!

[hellabombskies]

Me again lol, i previously posted about my girl being sluggish and i was worried. After talks with a new (and much better) reptile vet, and LOTS of reading on here, i am pretty sure she is in brumation. I see people on here talking about their dragons brumation and how they change light cycles and all that. Can an expert give me all the info i need to know about this? My girl sleeps on the floor under her basking log half of the day...but she is not hidden so the light is still on her. The second i move her she is up. Is she fine under the light like that? I noticed today she didn’t eat much like she normally does. Is there a brumation for dummies on here somewhere?

 

[AHBD]

Hi there, there is info on the side bar but a quick answer to your question is that yes, they will sometimes sleep out in the open but they usually prefer to hide or be at least partially tucked under something. Does she seem healthy + a good weight ? Has she had proper uvb + supplements during her growth stage + up to now ? Can you post pics of her, her set up and what type of lights you have ? Just to rule out any other possible reason for her behavior but it's most likely brumation.

 

[DorgEndo]

There is this article on the site if you haven't seen it yet https://www.beardeddragon.org/articles/brumation/

Otherwise you should read through different people's experiences. As dragon's will have their own way of brumating. Until you have been with them for 1 or 2 brumations it is not possible to predict exactly your dragon's preferences. I'm going through my first brumation with my girl Devlyn, she took time switching between her two hides before settling on one to stay in. She also wakes up easily, looks completely awake, will change positions, then go back to sleep. I did give her some baths to help empty her belly of any food remains before leaving her alone. I still leave a small heat light on for 8 hours daily, but not UVB since she is fully hidden.

However I had a dragon growing up who was different. He stopped eating on his own. Pooped with pride til empty. Then slept like the dead not moving, even out in the open, he didn't care. Wherever he was when brumation hit he stayed.

 

[hellabombskies]

Hi there, there is info on the side bar but a quick answer to your question is that yes, they will sometimes sleep out in the open but they usually prefer to hide or be at least partially tucked under something. Does she seem healthy + a good weight ? Has she had proper uvb + supplements during her growth stage + up to now ? Can you post pics of her, her set up and what type of lights you have ? Just to rule out any other possible reason for her behavior but it's most likely brumation.

I have noted my set up in many other posts so i know that its legit. She gets greens and Dubia roaches dusted with vit d mon, tues, thurs, and fri. Then d3 on weds and sat, and a multivitamin on Sunday. She is growing fine and her weight looks good. She poops and eats daily still, though she did not touch her veggies yesterday. I will get some pics in just a second

 

[hellabombskies]

This is her right now. She heard me coming and opened her eyes. This is how she always is till about 3pm (unless i move her)..then she is up like normal. When i spoke to the vet, after explaining everything including her behavior, setup, eating habits, ECT...the vet said it may be too cold at night making it harder for her to wake up. But i kept track of the temp in her tank overnight, and as long as my heater is on in my apt, then it stays around 73 degrees, which she has never had an issue with before.

 

[AHBD]

Yes, that all sounds perfectly normal and her inner clock is just telling her it's time to take the long [ or short /intermittent ] beardie nap. BTW, be careful about fake greenery, my beardies tried to eat it when I had my first beardies years ago and many other owners have that same experience. It's too bad because I like the look of it myself.

 

[hellabombskies]

Yes, that all sounds perfectly normal and her inner clock is just telling her it's time to take the long [ or short /intermittent ] beardie nap. BTW, be careful about fake greenery, my beardies tried to eat it when I had my first beardies years ago and many other owners have that same experience. It's too bad because I like the look of it myself.

Thanks I will keep an eye. Luckily she has not tried, but i have had these plants in her tank since she was a baby baby.

 

[Drache613]

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