Bearded Dragon climate/seasons

[KellySmiler]

Ok so this is a bit of a long read but I thought it was worth it so here goes!
I have been looking at vivarium controllers that allow you to control various temperatures/timings etc so u can do things like a sunrise/sunset or have a gradually moving basking spot with multiple bulbs fading in and out etc. I really just want to create an environment as close to the wild as possible. Through this I thought I would research their natural climate and found a town in the middle of their natural range and checked sunrise/sunset times for the year and also seasonal temperature changes. What I discovered is that in the winter months temperatures range from around 20c/68f dropping to around 5c/41f at night! I have always read that temps should never go below 18c/65f at night but it appears that in their natural habitat for 6/7 months of the year temperatures regularly drop well below that. Now im not saying I want to drop them that low as im sure that in the wild their underground nighttime burrows hold quite a bit of heat but has anyone had luck with trying to create temperature differences throughout the year to replicate seasons???
Thanks
Kelly

 

[Canicke]

Sounds like a great idea Kelly. if you've got the time and the ambition I know I would love to hear the results of your experiment. This is quite an undertaking. Might yield some interesting results. Go for it! Take notes and keep us posted – please

 

[jarich]

I think that the issue is what you have already picked up on. In order to allow for certain natural processes, you would need to also provide more circumstances than you are able to do. For instance, yes the burrows will allow them to maintain temperature levels for much longer, and to be reduced much more gradually, than most enclosures allow for. Also, there are certain parameters that we simply do not know enough about to try to replicate safely, such as the dry season. This is not to say that we shouldnt try to progress in our keeping, rather that until we understand more of the processes involved, it would be a risky and blind experiment.