We got our beardie as a baby around February of 2017, and he's probably about a foot and a half long, although I have not measured. His behavior lately has been worrisome and I'm not sure if these are just normal signs of brumation or cause for concern.
The terrarium's basking spot is around 97 degrees, and the cool side 80. Increasingly lately he has basked very little. As a young beardie he spent most of his day, every day, in his basking spot. Now sometimes we won't see him there for days. He's still very much interested in insects, and will rouse himself to chase after crickets or superworms. He's still interested in vegetables (we offer collard greens, mustard greens, butternut squash, sometimes some mango or carrot or kale) if we hold the plate right by his head, but if we simply put it down in his enclosure he won't eat it. Lately sometimes I'll find him in the same spot (cool side) after work as he was in the morning.
He doesn't show visible signs of dehydration, but we've been sure to mist him frequently, and I wet his vegetables for extra moisture (his vegetables are also sprinkled with calcium powder and vitamin powder). He no longer drinks in the bath like he used to, even when I drop water on his nose. He defecates perhaps twice per week, and they are the same consistency as in the past. Most worrying is that I picked him up Saturday morning for a bath about 2 hours after the lights in his enclosure came on, and he was absolutely cold to the touch.
Does it sound like he's just less active and has some appetite loss due to brumation, or does it sound like something's going on and we should get him to a vet?
The terrarium's basking spot is around 97 degrees, and the cool side 80. Increasingly lately he has basked very little. As a young beardie he spent most of his day, every day, in his basking spot. Now sometimes we won't see him there for days. He's still very much interested in insects, and will rouse himself to chase after crickets or superworms. He's still interested in vegetables (we offer collard greens, mustard greens, butternut squash, sometimes some mango or carrot or kale) if we hold the plate right by his head, but if we simply put it down in his enclosure he won't eat it. Lately sometimes I'll find him in the same spot (cool side) after work as he was in the morning.
He doesn't show visible signs of dehydration, but we've been sure to mist him frequently, and I wet his vegetables for extra moisture (his vegetables are also sprinkled with calcium powder and vitamin powder). He no longer drinks in the bath like he used to, even when I drop water on his nose. He defecates perhaps twice per week, and they are the same consistency as in the past. Most worrying is that I picked him up Saturday morning for a bath about 2 hours after the lights in his enclosure came on, and he was absolutely cold to the touch.
Does it sound like he's just less active and has some appetite loss due to brumation, or does it sound like something's going on and we should get him to a vet?
