I'll check the bulb when I get home, but the bulb pictured has since been replaced.
What about nightime temp. I'm wondering if that could be a problem. All lights are off at night
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Brumation?
- Thread starter JSpanky
- Start date
What about nightime temp. I'm wondering if that could be a problem. All lights are off at night
I don't know what the temp is dropping to at night because I'm sleeping but honestly it shouldn't be too much different than in summer and fall. The house is kept pretty close to the same temp all year long. Still I would think when the lights turn on he would come back out and bask. Even when we put him in the basking area he seems to prefer going back in his cold dark cave. Idk.
I've basically tried this exact thing except with wax worms (his favorite) and he pics them out and won't tough the salad. Honestly I thought I've read that they typically don't start eating fruits and veggies until they are closer to 1 year. He has no interest in them. We even tried to feed him that stuff earlier when he was super angry because we were having trouble getting crickets/worms etc but he wouldn't touch it.
I'm currently working through this article here which on the surface seems to say that Brumation at this age is rare, but not impossible. I really feel like he checks off all the boxes that fit Brumation. He was fine up until recently, nothing has changed. The UVB bulb may be losing its strength due to age and I'm going to replace and test UVB levels, but other than that, Brumation is all I can think of. I doubt the bulb went from being fine to bad in a matter of a few days Honestly he seems ok. Just not active and bouncy. He doesn't really seem sickly, or starving. His diet and lighting and enclosure all seemed fine for the first 6mo.
Forgot to add the article...
Bearded Dragon Brumation: All FAQs Explained & What to Do
We're setting the record straight on bearded dragon brumation. From what it is to how to care for a brumating beardie, how to stop brumation, & more!
reptile.guide
Unless he is really big for his age he should not be brumating- UVB and basking temps are the two most important things in the tank--- I cannot stress this enough--- he should be eating salads now believe me his behavior won't change - if he's not eating them now I doubt you will be able to get him to eat them when he turns a year old - past experience and I read this all the time from other dragon ownersForgot to add the article...
Bearded Dragon Brumation: All FAQs Explained & What to Do
We're setting the record straight on bearded dragon brumation. From what it is to how to care for a brumating beardie, how to stop brumation, & more!
Ok, well I will have the new UVB bulb in by the end of the day. We will see what that does. I can verify the temps are good, but I can't verify the UVB Level just yet. As far as getting him to eat salads, I don't know how to force him into it. We keep trying. The only thing he seems to slightly go back to are strawberries. Other than that he just won't touch it or eat it once and never again.
Try some silk worms on the salads- they stick to everything-
www.reptilianarts.com
Right now your dragon to me is exhibiting being sick
I'll give it a shot.
BeardieLover<3
Juvenile Dragon
- Messages
- 467
6 month olds can brumate its just pretty rare. Thats what i read on a few websites.
Thats honestly what I think it is. If he was sick I would understand the lack of energy and eating but the fact that he insists on going into his cave (the best thing he can do to burrow right now) even after we move him and refusing to bask, and lack of a bowel movement, yet his belly feels extremely full. His temperament, color, and all out physical looks all seem fine. If it was just a lack of UVB, I would think he would still be out trying to get some, but he insists on staying in the shade. Either way I'm replacing the UVB bulb and when I get a tester I'm going to compare old to new. Before this, he would very rarely go in his cave, and even if he did. He wouldn't stay long and come right back out and go to basking. Now it seems like he is in there for days. Also, not that it makes a huge difference in sure but we have had him for a little over 6 months so I would guess he is closer to 7 or maybe 8 months. I don't know how old he was when we got him but he was easily the biggest one in the bunch. Also had slightly different colors so he may have been the last of the previous group and the pet store added a bunch of new ones.
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He could be older usually they are around 3 months but I have seen them way younger like weeks old- please change the UVB out first if no change please post a pic if him so I can see him to see if we can get a closer age- the behavior he's exhibiting sometimes is taken for brumation- but are actually sick-- so is he eating?
The bulb will definitely be changed. If my wife didn't do it already I will do it when I get home. I'll send a picture of him too. I have not seen him eat anything in maybe a couple of weeks. I think I tried to hand feed him a cricket and I can't remember if he ate it or not. I usually leave the crickets in there. I know they say not too but I also keep an eye on the crickets and I have also been told that it's not a big deal to leave the crickets in there as long as it doesn't get over run by them. His enclosure is pretty basic so it's not like they have a ton of places to hide and I've noticed most of their hiding spots. The crickets we put in, mostly vanish so they are either escaping or he's eating them, but there isn't much room for them to escape out of. Maybe the smaller ones. It .makes me think he may be eating a bit at some point when I don't see him.
The bulb will definitely be changed. If my wife didn't do it already I will do it when I get home. I'll send a picture of him too. I have not seen him eat anything in maybe a couple of weeks. I think I tried to hand feed him a cricket and I can't remember if he ate it or not. I usually leave the crickets in there. I know they say not too but I also keep an eye on the crickets and I have also been told that it's not a big deal to leave the crickets in there as long as it doesn't get over run by them. His enclosure is pretty basic so it's not like they have a ton of places to hide and I've noticed most of their hiding spots. The crickets we put in, mostly vanish so they are either escaping or he's eating them, but there isn't much room for them to escape out of. Maybe the smaller ones. It makes me think he may be eating a bit
If the UVB is changed out and was the problem, how long do you think it would take to see a difference? A day or 2, or more like a week?
BTW thank you for all the help and the tips!
Alright, new bulb is in. I took him out of his cave, which he was sitting in awake. He is 14"-15" tip to tail. Got some pics which I am attaching. Also I hand fed him 1 cricket. He seemed a bit reluctant to take it but he did. He has eaten out of my hand several times before.
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Also put him back in the basking area. Let's see what he does.
He's been there for 45 min. He looked a little mischievous, all looking around so I fed him some more crickets out of his bowl and he went after them and ate them.
You will notice a difference right away --- if it was the bulb he should start eating again and basking -- if its not the bulb causing the issue then we need to find out other causes --- he looks a year maybe -- I am thinking more around 10 months or so -- it is hard to tell --- make sure hes hydrated -- that will cause them NOT to eat --
