Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi folks,

I have some brumation questions but don't want to bore anyone. I have tried a search but perhaps I don't know what I'm doing with the search function. Can anyone refer me toward a good brumation article/thread? If not, I will post my questions here but prefer not to burden anyone.

Thanks,

-Tami*

Post your questions.

I don't know of any good article I've ever read on brumation in dragons. There is just to much variance. I have 28 dragons but am not a breeder. I don't brumate mine, they chose what they want. Right now I have about 8 that have been down for a month . Best to just ask your questions.

Thanks guys. I understand each dragon is different so there is no one-size-fits-all answer. But here are my questions:

How long should brumation last?
How much weight loss is acceptable during brumation?
Does the brumation pattern change on a yearly basis for a particular dragon, or is he likely to repeat the same behaviors annually?
If he is still eating small amounts, should I withhold food for fear of improper digestion? Or is it okay to eat a bit?
Does brumation behavior typically begin at the same time each year, or is it dependent on weather patterns?
Is early brumation (7 months of age) a bad thing?

Thanks in advance for any input.

-Tami*

First off, you should provide more information on your setup and dragon. A picture of his/her setup would be very helpful. Also, is the dragon male or female? What is his/her weight? What are the temps.? How much and how often is he/she eating? It is important to be sure it is brumation and not sickness. Have you had a fecal done lately?

My hard brumators usually go down for about 5 months. Most often they are female but I have 2 males that also do this. I already had one male disappear for a month and is now up and active.

Very little weight loss should be expected, 15 grams or less in a 500 gram dragon over a 5 week period. The only weight they should lose is water weight and 15 grams represents 15 cc which is a lot. I wake mine every 5 weeks, allow them to bask and offer water.

Generally, the dragons act the same year to year. The brumators always brumate.

I never withhold food. Even when I wake them I offer salad, they usually don't partake. I don't encourage brumation. The first time I wake them they usually stay up and bask until they do a huge poop.

It seems that brumation starts earlier each year. It seems their annual cycle is less than 12 months, closer to 11. Odd, but this is an observation confirmed by others also.

Occasionally, I have had dragons brumate at 250 grams and less than 7 months. It is not ideal but in the long run they suffered no ill effects or reduced growth. Again, I would make sure it is not illness causing the behavior. If that is ruled out then give them a place to effectively brumate. I use sand and they will dig in and close the opening to save humidity. A pic is below.

Thank you BDlvr. More info on my setup:

55gal aquarium, screen top. 100watt halogen flood basking light for 108-110F in the hot spot. Household 60watt for 85-90F on the cool end. ReptiSun 10.0 UVB tube. Paper substrate (getting tiles in a few months). Assorted cage "furniture" mostly rock, some driftwood, and a hot and cool end hide.

My dragon is just under 7 months and 332grams, bred from Sunshine Dragons. He had a healthy exam and fecal at 4 months at the clinic where I work (I'm a vet tech) I examined the fecal float myself.

Over the past month he has simply become lazy. Less appetite, less inclination to bask for long. He'll get up and warm up in the AM, eat some salad, then is usually back to "bed" for the rest of the day. He is alert with eyes open, and when I take him out he runs around the room and acts completely normal. Also when I don't have to work and am around during the day, he seems more active. When I'm gone all day he will sleep.

Does this sound normal?

Yes it sounds normal for some. I wouldn't heat the cool side. The widest range of temps possible is best. Apply enough heat to the warm side so that you get the right temp. basking spot with a ~90 degree air temp. then just let the cool side be whatever it is. 75 down is best. Put a hide there, if he wants to brumate he will use it.

Sounds all normal to me...in fact, I think your dragon is bored when you are not around LOL.

It is also possible it may be a bit too warm in his cage overall (ambient temps) which is why he is in a shaded hide but remaining alert.

As for Brumation, duration various per animal, 2-4 months is average in the wild I believe. My girl brumates about 4-5 months, usually going down late October early November and staying asleep till March. She isn't showing signs of burmating yet, eating and active as usual.

I don't lower temps or duration of lights but she burmates when she wants to. If she wakes up and is out basking I offer some greens, heavily misted so she can hydrate better, even if she just licks the greens.

A healthy weight loss during brumation I would say less than 10% of their pre-brumation weight.
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PHLdyPayne

As already mentioned,your cool side should be 75-80...very important

Just wanted to mention that in my other reply I said 75-80 coolside,I was just thinking of everyday temps.For brumation you can easily go down to 60,but if your dragon is in a warm cage you can reduce the overall temp.and if you are in a cooler part of the country[like I am in Pa.]they usually just react to the cooler temps.in the house and start looking for a place to brumate.

Thanks everyone. Puts my mind at ease a bit.