Reptile & Amphibian Forums

After 7 weeks of brumation at about 50-55 degrees I decided Otis was looking a bit thin. Last night I took him out and put him in a dark enclosure at room temperature. He is pretty active in there and has water but I have not seen him drink. He won't take water from a dropper and never would any time I tried while he was brumating. Water was always available to him but I don't think he ever drank any. What should I do with him now? How fast can I turn on lights and heat and get him interested in eating? I'd like to get him back in the big enclosure where he was used to drinking from the fountain, but it is at normal temps and has crickets running around for the babies to eat. Thanks for your help.
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Valerie

We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.
--Martin Luther King, Jr.--

God bless the USA

vrk.photosite.com

have you tried putting and ice cube on the top of the cage and letting it drip down into a little dish of water? usually my guys like this method because they see the water moving. also i always dampen the sand on one side of their sleep spots and they usually choose to dig into and sleep in the damp sand.
i have no idea about how fast they can "wake" back up. i thought it was something like 5 days at uvb and then the heat lights
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vonnie
***There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. Mary Wilson Little ***

Then after about a week turn on your heat, the rest is up to Otis He should put his weight on again, providing hes okay !

Just keep an eye on the weight
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PHEve / Eve

Thanks for the replies. I am leaving Otis in the small cage with just the lights for a few days, and also trying the ice cubes. Have not seen him drink, but I was not home a lot to watch yesterday. Soon Otis can go back in the big enclosure where there is heat and food. And that means it will be time for Hermes to pack his little lizard bag and go to a new home. I am afraid he is too big to be around Otis now. All 5 were living together before I brumated the adults. I have a home lined up for Hermes and I'm hoping nothing happens to make that fall through. If it does, I guess I can put him into brumation for a while until I come up with another plan. He is only 5 and a half months old but he is pretty big. Cadence, on the other hand, is still small and still looks like a baby. She eats and always has a full-looking tummy but has just not grown as fast as Hermes. The new ReptiSun 10.0 bulb was installed on Friday and Cadence already seems to be more active and stays awake longer now. I am hoping that is all she needed to get a growth spurt going. Saige and Fawn are still brumating, I am planning on bringing them out one at a time and hoping I only have one very pregnant girl at a time! Saige will be the next one to wake up.
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Valerie

We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.
--Martin Luther King, Jr.--

God bless the USA

vrk.photosite.com

The way we talk about our lizards, heehhehe ! The time and thought behind WHO goes where and WITH who.

How many different homes to maintain, LOL Oh if they only knew what we go through, just to keep them, and ADMIRE their BEAUTY!
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PHEve / Eve