Late Brumation? (UPDATE)

[ayiaskepi]

Our little "Thorin Spikenshield" is about 8.5 months now. The other day he was showing a REALLY black beard the whole day and wanted to be left alone entirely. He has been eating and pooping regulary, but has just been acting a little "off". So today, I woke up to find him still in his hide. Well it is 11:00am now, and he is still in there.

I know that there are no 100% accurate brumation formulas, and that different beardies can do different things. But does it seem a little late for brumation? It is early to totally know what is going on, but he never stays in the hide like this. Any ideas?

UPDATE

I am adding a pic or two. Also, he ate four silk worms from the hide out of my hand. He would not come out to get them, but readily ate them from the threshold of the hide. Weird.

 

[diamc]

Thorin is a very handsome beardie, love his coloring. How long has he been showing the brumation symptoms? Have you had a fecal checked for parasites lately? Has he lost any wt?

It almost seems like he is apprehensive about leaving his hide. What are the tank temps and what type of thermometer are you using? Also, can you also fill us in on the brand & type of UVB and what the distance is? Is it right alongside a bright white basking bulb?

Has anything changed in his tank or the room he is in lately? Do you have any animals that he could be afraid of? Sorry for all the questions, just trying to rule things out.

 

[ayiaskepi]

Thanks for the reply and for the compliments on Thorin. His color will only get better. He is from Carolina Classics. David is great!

Actually, he came out about noon yesterday and was acting totally normal...eating, etc. I gave him a long bath, and he ended up going back in the hide around 5pm for the night. I just got home from being gone since 7:30am and he is out and about, eating, sunning, etc. Like nothing. It is weird. Anyway, to answer the questions...

I have not had a fecal done. I am new to my area and have not been able to find a herp-friendly vet here yet (N.E. PA) that is less than 2 hours away. I may need to just ask my dog's vet if he can do it, though after 20 years of keeping herps I have learned that a good herp-friendly vet is a must!

Tank temps - 110 on hot side / 80-90 on cool side
I am using digital thermometers with probes, etc.
My UVB is a Reptisun 10.0 and he can get within about 3 inches of the rays.
The UVB is situated in the middle of the enclosure up top, while the basking bulbs are on either end of the enclosure. He thermoregulates between the two sides of the tank and the UVB all day.
Nothing has changed in his tank. My English bulldog has been in the room more often, but his enclosure is situated such that he really doesn't see much of the dog. Even if he did, that has never bothered him before.

He was showing a really black beard all day a few days ago. I mean BLACK...down to his shoulders, as can happen. Could be "teenager" stuff or something else...

Thanks for responding.

 

[ayiaskepi]

Well....Today he has still yet to emerge from his hide and it is 13:30am now. He is usually out by 7:30ish. He is not sleeping - just lying there... I do not know what to think at this point...

Anyone?

 

[diamc]

I'm sorry to hear that he is still hiding. How is his coloring? I would suggest getting a fecal checked, if you don't know any reptile vets in the area, you could actually take the sample to a regular vet to have tested. Or, perhaps this would help: http://www.herpvetconnection.com/ Scroll down toward the bottom and you can find your state.

Since he "thermoregulates between the two sides of the tank and the UVB all day", he may actually be too hot as it seems like he should be wanting to spend more time in his basking spot if he is comfortable. We usually recommend a basking temp of 110 for a little baby so the temps may be too hot for him. Your cool side is a little too hot, it should be 78 to 82. What size is the tank and what are the wattages of the heat bulb(s)? When you check the temps with the digital probe, are you placing the probe right on the basking log or rock and waiting at least 45 min before getting the final readings?

Is the Repti-Sun a fluorescent tube or compact bulb? At a distance of 3", that is too close, he should not be able to get any closer than 6 to 8" from it anywhere in his tank. With the UVB in the middle of the tank, it sounds like it is preventing him from getting the benefit of both bulbs from his basking spot. Also, we recommend placing the UVB right alongside a bright white basking bulb to prevent eye issues since the UVB's are very glaring.

Sure seems like he is trying to avoid something in his tank by hiding. How does he act when you take him out? How often are you taking him out to bathe him? How is his appetite? How long has he been acting this way and how long has the tank been the way it is now?

I would try making a few changes and see how he is with lowered temps and see if you can make some adjustments on the placement and distance of the UVB.

 

[ayiaskepi]

Thank you for the reply and advice.

Since he "thermoregulates between the two sides of the tank and the UVB all day", he may actually be too hot as it seems like he should be wanting to spend more time in his basking spot if he is comfortable. We usually recommend a basking temp of 110 for a little baby so the temps may be too hot for him. Your cool side is a little too hot, it should be 78 to 82. What size is the tank and what are the wattages of the heat bulb(s)? When you check the temps with the digital probe, are you placing the probe right on the basking log or rock and waiting at least 45 min before getting the final readings?

Basking temp is 110. I can try to adjust the cool side. Both sides are on a dimmer so I can adjust accordingly. The tank is 4 feet long, 2.5 feet deep and 2 feet high. The temp readings are accurate.

Is the Repti-Sun a fluorescent tube or compact bulb? At a distance of 3", that is too close, he should not be able to get any closer than 6 to 8" from it anywhere in his tank. With the UVB in the middle of the tank, it sounds like it is preventing him from getting the benefit of both bulbs from his basking spot. Also, we recommend placing the UVB right alongside a bright white basking bulb to prevent eye issues since the UVB's are very glaring.

The UVB is a fluorescent tube and I will extend the distance. When I said he "thermoregulates all day" I mean he will spend a few hours basking, then an hour under the uvb, then on teh cool side for a while, etc. etc.

Sure seems like he is trying to avoid something in his tank by hiding. How does he act when you take him out? How often are you taking him out to bathe him? How is his appetite? How long has he been acting this way and how long has the tank been the way it is now?

He is fine when I take him out. I bathe him once a week. His coloring is off and on. He has been acting this way for two days now. He did not eat at all today. He has been eating fine, but not as ravenously as usual. The tank has been the same since he moved in.

I would try making a few changes and see how he is with lowered temps and see if you can make some adjustments on the placement and distance of the UVB.[/quote]

Thanks.

 

[diamc]

When all my beardies were about 8 mo old, they started liking cooler temps and wouldn't bask as much if the temps were over 105. I have had beardies for over 9 yrs so I'm just trying to share some of my experience over the years with them and I raised all of them from little babies, the smallest being only 4 1/2" long. Perhaps you'll want to think about adjusting the dimmer of the basking side a little. Wow, that's a good sized tank, about equal to a 150 gallon, he's a lucky beardie.

How long has he been in that tank and how long have you had him? Does he run around when out of the tank?

 

[ayiaskepi]

I have had him since early October. He has been in there since I got him. When he is out, I tend to keep him isolated to a small area since there is both child and canine factors. I noticed he did not go back into his hide since I took him out to bathe him today. He stayed at tge basking spot the rest of the day and fell asleep against one side of the enclosure on the floor.