one of the greatest sources of worry is when, for one reason or another, your Reptiles refuse to eat for long periods of time, or become inactive and lethargic.
Don’t panic when this happens with no warning, if your temperatures are adequate, the diet is right and you have proper UVB lighting this may be your animal going into Brumation. Brumation is essentially the reptile equivalent of hibernation in mammals, with a few important differences.
Mammals, hibernate during the winter months, when food is scarce and its cold, , reptiles, However will Brumate for reasons other than lack of food, or cold temperatures and may Brumate at any time of the year.
Their bodies have evolved that way for hundreds of years in order to survive, while a shortage of food, less sunlight and colder Temps can trigger them to Brumate it also allows their bodies to have a rest period, this can produce higher hormone levels and a higher sperm count in the males for the next breeding season.
Some early hatchings may Brumate in their first year others may not, Once they become adults, however, many of them do brumate every year regardless of the weather conditions outside or temperature inside, and no matter what you try you won’t stop them. In fact you can damage them by trying to force feed them during this period as any undigested food may rot in their stomachs as their system shuts down. Reptiles have evolved with the ability to slow their metabolism down which enables them to eat nothing for long periods of time.
Moisture is the main requirement during Brumation as in the wild they bury themselves in soil to keep from freezing, they have the ability to draw in moisture from the soil, through their vent, keeping them hydrated.
one of the greatest sources of worry is when, for one reason or another, your Reptiles refuse to eat for long periods of time, or become inactive and lethargic. Don’t panic when this happens with no warning, if your temperatures are adequate, the diet is right and you have proper UVB lighting this may be your animal going into Brumation. Brumation is essentially the reptile equivalent of hibernation in mammals, with a few important differences. Mammals, hibernate during the winter months, when food is scarce and its cold, , reptiles, However will Brumate for reasons other than lack of food, or cold temperatures and may Brumate at any time of the year. Their bodies have evolved that way for hundreds of years in order to survive, while a shortage of food, less sunlight and colder Temps can trigger them to Brumate it also allows their bodies to have a rest period, this can produce higher hormone levels and a higher sperm count in the males for the next breeding season. Some early hatchings may Brumate in their first year others may not, Once they become adults, however, many of them do brumate every year regardless of the weather conditions outside or temperature inside, and no matter what you try you won’t stop them. In fact you can damage them by trying to force feed them during this period as any undigested food may rot in their stomachs as their system shuts down. Reptiles have evolved with the ability to slow their metabolism down which enables them to eat nothing for long periods of time. Moisture is the main requirement during Brumation as in the wild they bury themselves in soil to keep from freezing, they have the ability to draw in moisture from the soil, through their vent, keeping them hydrated.