Updates & Brumation

[beardie_love]

Well it's been a while since I've been posting. Past few weeks have been busy and a little stressful.

First off, it's been about 3 weeks since I moved in here. Now just an update on the beardies.... And I have a few questions about brumation.

So, since I've been here, my 3 beardies haven't been eating much. They got their salad everyday, but by the end of the day it's barely touched. The first greens I used were Collard Greens, but I did know that it's not their favorite and they barely eat it anyway. So then I switched it to their favorite, Mustard Greens. Still nothing. Just slight nips I've seen. And Baby just plays in her greens. Now with their bugs, they usually eat 10+ every second day. I have to limit them because they eat so much, so they get about 10-15 every second day. Since I've been here, again, they're not eating much. I'm lucky if they eat 2-3 every second or third day. I thought the explanation of all this was relocation stress..... but it's been over a month already (beardies have been here longer than I have).

They also don't poop much. And for a while now, they haven't been basking much. I was talking about this on Facebook, and Lisa says they may be going into brumation. I don't know all the signs of brumation, so I'm at a loss here. They do seem to be laying around a lot, and not basking. But when I take them out, they're active - running around and such. And if anyone is wondering, yes my temps are good (basking 97 - 105), and yes my uvb is under 6 months old. They aren't showing any signs of illness though. And they're not losing any weight. Also since they're not pooping, I'm trying to give them daily baths, so we'll see how that goes.

Should I just skip bugs at this time until they poop? And just offer greens.

So now about brumation. During this, they sleep and should be awaken once a week for a bath. Okay. What about the lighting? Should it stay the same? And how is their behavior? Do they just sleep and not open their eyes or move around??

All of this is stressing me out. And to add, my Ball Python has been refusing her meal for a few weeks now. Ugh.

 

[ladyknite]

Hey sweets, Did you incorporate a UTH with that therm or regular heat pad for Bella? Her enclosure might be a little warm. Give her another week. She should eat.

Sounds like brumation to me. As long as they're basking, you can offer some bugs. But if they curl up early, nix the buggies and offer salad. They'll eat if they're hungry

 

[beardie_love]

Hey Gina, umm well the hole I have in the tub to stick the probe through isn't big enough for that thermostat probe. It's huge! I'll have to find a giant drill bit thing to make a bigger hole.... Or how else can I do it? ???

Sounds like brumation to me. As long as they're basking, you can offer some bugs. But if they curl up early, nix the buggies and offer salad. They'll eat if they're hungry

They only bask sometimes (and sometimes I put them there). But rarely I see. And plus since they're not pooping, should I wait till they do so before I feed more bugs?

 

[beardie_love]

And here are some pics I took 10 minutes ago:

Ace

Charlie (he's there pretty much all day, till I take him out)

Baby running around on my bed

Putting Baby back inside her tank, on her basking rock

And see, they haven't been losing any weight.

 

[ladyknite]

go ahead and stop the bugs, until you notice they're up and moving a day and then the next.

To enlarge holes, I generally just use my dremel in a circular pattern around the hole until it enlarges just enough to get the probe thru. Tape in place over the cord and wa la!

 

[beardie_love]

Dremel, hmm.. I'll see if I have one !

 

[beardie_love]

1 down, 2 to go. Baby pooped today.

LOL

 

[zebraflavencs]

Excellent !

 

[staylor]

Charlie looks like Piggy has for a few weeks. She has not had bugs in a while and has not had veggies in a couple of weeks except when I make her eat. I have been dropping her day/night times and she should be down for good in a couple of weeks.

 

[beardie_love]

Some brumation questions:


What exactly do the dragons look like? Like, are they just curled up or hiding, with their eyes closed?

When do I know they are about to 'shut down'? All of mine are either on the cool side or hiding. And they sleep a lot I would say, and they don't really move.

Should temps be any different?

What should be their lighting schedule?

Is it okay to take them out and 'play' with them at this time? (as I described them above).

And, since their behavior as I first posted on this thread, seems to you guys that they're getting ready, should I wait for the remaining dragons to go to the bathroom before they 'go down'?

 

[Craiger]

Melissa,

Perhaps this thread will help answer those questions you have.

 

[beardie_love]

Maybe it's just me, but I don't see the answers. ??? Perhaps I just need more detail. But this helped a little:

"If they are no longer basking you can start putting the basking light on intervals say for just 5 hours a day but leave the UVB lamps to copy the natural photoperiod."

So this is saying to leave the UVB on ALL day? Doesn't it hurt their eyes? ???

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Yes leave the lights on while they are still "semi-concious" and no longer basking. It won't hurt their eyes as that is the UV source to begin with, all you are doing then is using the UV lights to give them a day/night period (photo-period). If they are fully asleep then you can turn all the lights off if you wish to provide total darkness (my prefered method). The whole enclosure then acts like a giant burrow where they will sleep the winter off. In saying this the temps during brumation must still be maintained at around 15C no less than 10C. This can be done a number of ways either heat the whole house up so the enclosure stays at those levels or use a CHE in the enclosure (I have my CHEs wired to a thermostat to have maximum control) or a wall mounted heatcord/mat.

 

[beardie_love]

So I guess when lights are completely off, they don't wake up at all?

And I'm still wondering about my other questions..

When do I know they are about to 'shut down'? All of mine are either on the cool side or hiding. And they sleep a lot I would say, and they don't really move.

Is it okay to take them out and 'play' with them at this time? (as I described them above).

And, since their behavior as I first posted on this thread, seems to you guys that they're getting ready, should I wait for the remaining dragons to go to the bathroom before they 'go down'?

My first question (in the quote), well, I guess they are ready?

And with this:
"If they are no longer basking you can start putting the basking light on intervals say for just 5 hours a day but leave the UVB lamps to copy the natural photoperiod."
That is to start slowing them down?

Lots of questions, yes, because I want to make sure I get everything right.

 

[Red Ink AUS]

So I guess when lights are completely off, they don't wake up at all?

And I'm still wondering about my other questions..

When do I know they are about to 'shut down'? All of mine are either on the cool side or hiding. And they sleep a lot I would say, and they don't really move.

Is it okay to take them out and 'play' with them at this time? (as I described them above).

And, since their behavior as I first posted on this thread, seems to you guys that they're getting ready, should I wait for the remaining dragons to go to the bathroom before they 'go down'?

My first question (in the quote), well, I guess they are ready?

Yes you can shut the lights off if they are no longer showing signs of activity or leave them on for short periods, it's up to you (I prefer a full shut down personally)

It is not advisable to disturb them during brumation, all that does is stress them out, kinda liked being yanked out of bed from a deep sleep and forced to get up for humans.

And with this:
"If they are no longer basking you can start putting the basking light on intervals say for just 5 hours a day but leave the UVB lamps to copy the natural photoperiod."
That is to start slowing them down?

Yes and no, they will slow down naturally anyway, that interval is just peace of mind for the keepers and to double check that they are not showing activity with the lights on seeking a hot spot while there is light.

Lots of questions, yes, because I want to make sure I get everything right.

No worries mate that's what were here for.

 

[beardie_love]

Thanks Francis ! Helped a lot.

Ooooone more question that's keeping me from letting them shut down completely. Out of my 3, only one pooped recently (about a week ago). Should I wait for the remaining 2 to do so before I let them shut down? They haven't pooped for a while.

 

[staylor]

I am still really new at this but I can tell you that I waited and waited and waited for Piggy to poop one more time and it didn't happen. I waited to the point of her sleeping all day even with lights on. I think if they have not been eating live feeders then you don't need to wait for poop.

 

[beardie_love]

I've stopped bugs for just over a week now, but when they were getting bugs (even though it wasn't a lot), they still didn't poop. That's why I'm a bit worried to let them shut down. And I've been bathing them often for over a week now, and still nothing.

 

[Pogie]

Dont know if this helps. But Pogie has gone up to 11 days between poops

 

[beardie_love]

Dont know if this helps. But Pogie has gone up to 11 days between poops

It has been weeks since they've pooped now. :-\