PART 2
One thing I generally suggest if a
BD starts showing a slowdown is to get a fecal exam done--particularly try to find a vet that will do such an exam for 10-12$ and prescribe meds (Albon, Panacur) without charging you a huge amount for an office visit. Sometimes you simply have to develop a relationship with a vet. If the fecal exam is clear (or shows minimal parasite loads--make sure your vet pays attention to the quantity of parasites; bad in my opinion to aggressively treat a minimal infestation) and the
BD is plump, bright-eyed, pink-gummed, hydrated, then I don't worry at all about the slowdown.
When do they do it? Can you prevent it?
Mark Lee In my experience, brumation can be dependent on temperature, lighting and (if your dragons are near a window and can see outside) external climate conditions. We live in Seattle where the weather is generally dark and miserable from mid October through March / April. Our dragons have a cage right by the window, so they notice the shorter daylight hours and dark skies. They began brumation in November and came out about 2 weeks ago. Our Rankins dragons are still sleeping ! Most of the books I have read suggest that brumation usually ends around mid February. During brumation, cage lighting times and heat should be reduced to mimic seasonal changes. Many of the available care sheets should give you suggestions for optimal levels of heat/light. Perhaps we were flying in the face of convention, but we checked on our Dragons every 2 weeks. We uncovered them slightly and gave them a drink of water from a small spray bottle (squirted gently onto the tip of their noses so they can lick the water). We covered them again immediately afterwards and it did not appear to disturb them at all.
Female Dragons seem to be quite particular about having things to dig in/under and will try numerous places before finding a spot they like. You may also notice a decline in appetite and fecal matter as he/she prepares for brumation. This is quite common. Make sure that s/he has a good meal and a drink prior to brumating. A healthy Dragon (nice fat tail base) will have no problems going for 3 or 4 months without food. Some people may take issue with me on the subject of water, but I would still suggest giving them a small amount of fluids every 3 weeks. It's amazing how much you miss them when they are sleeping. Our apartment seemed very empty and quiet, though we do have 2 very lively young Uromastyx who are not quite old enough to brumate yet so they kept us amused.
Jen I think it's also depends on the individual dragon. Gwen's first winter she was young and didn't slow down a bit. last winder she didn't eat from October to February (and yes, that DID freak me out at first!) this year so far she hasn't shown any signs of slowing at all...but it's still early. if she does brumate, hopefully she will do it *after* she eats all the crickets i just ordered!
Kathryn If you did lower the temps, your juveniles might slow down, even brumate. However, I would tend to let them remain hyper right now, since they are still probably in their growth phase; they could be so excited because they realize that THIS IS THEIR CHANCE--they can eat and eat and eat and exercise and eat and GROW and catch up with the big'ens!!
I do think it is interesting physiologically that, in the same tank, 2
BDs will brumate and 2 will run around wildly, oblivious to what must be the same environmental signals. Similarly, as I look right now into my adolescent tank (on the coffee table), I note that 5 are out of sight and have been for the past week, sleeping soundly under their branches and paper towels, while a male and a female are happily basking under separate basking sites. They are all about the same age and from the same parents, so neither age nor size nor genetics explains the different behaviors; while brumation is to a large extent innate, the behavior must have a fair amount of variability.
BDs seem just to be rugged individualists--or the dissenters all have a plan to GROW while everyone is asleep, so they can take over the WORLD!!!!
Rita V Our guys "slowed down" last winter for several months - into February as I recall. We're in Chicago and I was surprised when they started eating like little pigs again in the coldest darkest part of winter... Does anyone know why this happens ? Do they just sense the coming of spring ? Rita V
Paul, in Australia It really depends on the individual and the environment. My guys all slept through Winter and are now just waking up. The Diamond Python was up all year, and half the Bluetongue skink population was out. Year before that, they were all down for 3 months.
Ronnie Buck I haven't made any changes in my temps and I now have 7 dragons that are down, 3 under the night stand, one in the closet, one who is gravid and was digging everywhere so I placed her in an egg tub where she promptly dug a nice nest only to curl up inside if it and crash out, one is sleeping on the bottom shelf of a book case, and one who is still in his cage but sleeping under a log. I'll dig the gravid female out tomorrow and try to keep her awake until after the clutch and she puts her weight back on.
Kathryn I agree--the dragons do it themselves, individually, regardless of the cues we think they may be following. Indeed, I have had multiple dragons *in the very same cage* take multiple approaches to brumation. For instance, one did not brumate at all--one brumated a short time--two sacked out for a couple of months--and the last one was first down, and last to awaken.
It may well turn out that the cues for brumation are multifactoral, like bird navigation during migration. You take away one cue, the bird still gets to where it should go. Take away two, no problem. Take away three, a few mistakes, but there they are all at their destination--you have to get all the factors before you get a totally lost bird.
In addition, the cues on *WHEN* to brumate must be involved with the circadian rhythms--and with circadian rhythms, the clock is innate (even genetic!! People have been able to genetically manipulate circadian rhythms in some beasties!) and it is only *reset* and adjusted by external cues (and some internal cues, like "am I fat and healthy enough to brumate, or should I stay awake and EAT?"). Like when we get up in the morning--the light can cue awakeness, and if the light is on earlier every day, the internal clock can adjust (for most people--some people don't seem to be "light activated" of course, or at least use the more common cue--bloody alarm clock--). So, take away ALL the cues, and the internal clock still, at some point, says GET UP or GO TO SLEEP, or, well BRUMATE!!
SO, if the dragon is going to brumate, it is going to brumate...we can only try to delay their brumation to assure that they are nice and fat, and healthy, and have a low parasite load, etc. I don't know of a good way to prevent brumation (or at least prolonged lethargy) all winter. It may be that brumation can be *induced* by reducing temperature, light, etc. But stopping them? Delay, maybe, stop, beyond my ability!
Stories
Bill Mears When Dud 'n' Daisy were that size, daisy buried herself for 2 weeks and when I was convinced she must have escaped and dug her out she was a lot smaller than Dudley, she's caught up since then, but Dudley has NEVER shown any inclination to reduce his food intake in over 2 years and while the others are slowing down, he actually tried to eat my sweater this week while he was sat on my lap waiting for
crix!
sleepy beardie
