dragon44 Posted November 26, 2011 Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 Hi all My < 1 yr old beardie, Jimmi, has been brumating since July and I'm starting to worry that he won't wake up, especially since its now late November and quite hot here in the Bay of Islands. The last time he ate was about 10 August which was the last time he was up and about voluntarily. I say voluntarily because I got him up 2 days ago and offered him some greens which he was not interested in, although he ate 2 very small bits of echeveria that I held up to his mouth. He then stumbled off to hide under a rock, and about 20 mins later came out only to go hide in a pile of leaves. Haven't seen him since. I raised the temps back up to normal on Tuesday and have his lights back on too (his enclosure gets plenty of natural light anyway). I couldn't do this sooner because we were travelling back and forth to Spain for cancer treatment, and the people we had looking after our place (and Jimmi) know nothing about beardies - I was glad he didn't wake up while we were away. Is this length of time normal? I have several books - one says 4-6 weeks :smln: and the others don't mention the length of time. Of course it will vary greatly from one beardie to the next and one year to the next, but I'm just worried that this is TOO long. I didn't weigh him when I got him up on Thursday but he didn't look thin at all, and his was quite wide awake looking around. Should I get him up again or leave him be? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted November 26, 2011 Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 Leave him be. When they are brumating they are brumating and you should not wake them up and feed them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon44 Posted November 26, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 Thanks Alan. Jeez, wish I hadn't panicked the other day. It gets up to 32-33 C at the end where he is now. Prior to getting him up he was brumating in a pile of leaves down the cool end that now gets up to 28-29 C. Hopefully he digests the 2 little bits of echeveria. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
repto Posted November 26, 2011 Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 i would be more concerned about his hydration levels?if they are low they can estivate rather than brumate.Have a look at his eyes and see if they appear sunken at all.I would get him up and give him a soak in the bath with tepid water for a while.have done this with my own during brumation,just dry them well and put back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonz1833 Posted November 26, 2011 Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 its fine even some of my water dragons are still asleep and it has been a funny summer this year so no need to stress they will wake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted November 26, 2011 Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 4-6weeks is a bit short i would of thought. probably bare minimum... 3months is more like it. had one go for about 6months once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
repto Posted November 26, 2011 Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 most people I know have water dragons that have layed eggs by now? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted November 26, 2011 Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 yes done and dusted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted November 26, 2011 Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 dont mind me :nilly: :sml2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted November 26, 2011 Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 we don't mind how long you brumate for ID :sml1: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted November 26, 2011 Report Share Posted November 26, 2011 all's good then, back the cave for me :sml2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon44 Posted January 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 Hi everyone I'm really worried now, Jimmi is still brumating! He got up on 1st, 4th, 10th and 16th January 2012 just to eat (for moisture I think). Yesterday I thought he might have died because he was in the same position for a week so I stroked his head and he only just managed to blink one eye - read VERY sleepy. Since its been 7 months now (he started brumating last June) I'm worried that he is not going to wake up and will just die. I wonder if there is something wrong with him because he is much smaller than the average beardie of his age - from info on the internet anyway. I know some people bathe their beardies while they are brumating and apparently they sleep through the bath, but I know if I do that Jimmi will definitely be wide awake, so not sure that is a good idea. What should I do... still leave him be? I'm really starting to freaking out. PS. Wished I had another beardie to put in with him - I bet he would want to wake up then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 might be time to wake it up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon44 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 Yeah, I think so too. It just so happens that he got up again today to eat with his eyes only half open. After he basked I actually took him out of his enclosure for 10 mins - first time since last summer, and that woke him up, eyes wide open and actually looking all around. I gave him a few mini mealworms for the protein in the hopes that it might help to get his metabolism working again. Will just have to wait and see if he gets up tomorrow by himself, though I seriously doubt he will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
repto Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 he must be the cheapest pet you have had to feed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 :slfg: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 It seems that the temperatures may have been a bit high for brumation but I don't think it would do any harm to encourage him out of it after such a time. Sometimes they can be dosy for a little while before they come back to normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon44 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 he must be the cheapest pet you have had to feed? rotflmao Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon44 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 It seems that the temperatures may have been a bit high for brumation but I don't think it would do any harm to encourage him out of it after such a time. Sometimes they can be dosy for a little while before they come back to normal. Mmmm... I turned the temps up to 28-29C max at the cool end where he is and the lights on late November so that he would know that its time to get up. Prior to that I had it at max 24C at the cool end and the lights off. Is that right? I want to get it right for next time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanmin4304 Posted January 25, 2012 Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 I turn the teperature down to the minimum that the controller will go to (15deg) and turn the lights off. I do this after the breedding season and after they have got a bit of condition back on. They usually stop feeding by then anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon44 Posted January 25, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2012 OK thanks. Must get it right next time. If he doesn't get up by lunchtime today I will get him up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon44 Posted January 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 Well he didn't get up on his own accord so I got him up at 1:00pm. Again I took him out of his enclosure for 10 mins then I put him back and gave him his greens and a few mini mealies... ... and that combined with the same yesterday must have done the trick! The jimmicam recorded it all: after eating then basking then pooping he had a run around for a good 45 mins and tried out both rocks; both logs; both piles of leaves; checked out the cats (they like to keep him company); and looked for more worms before retiring to his leaf pile to sleep. :happy1: Sigh! I hope he gets up by himself tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insect Direct Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 so you heated the cool end to 29C ? so what's the hot end? daylight hours probably just as much a stimulant as heat as far as waking them ... dont like the idea of actually warming a lizard that's brumating give it access to warmth yes. better to turn a basking light on down opposite end from where it brumating. mine use to come out within a couple of weeks of me turning lights back on. keep it simple skink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted January 26, 2012 Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 i don't use heating during summer just stick them in the aviary outside Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragon44 Posted January 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2012 so you heated the cool end to 29C ? so what's the hot end? daylight hours probably just as much a stimulant as heat as far as waking them ... dont like the idea of actually warming a lizard that's brumating give it access to warmth yes. better to turn a basking light on down opposite end from where it brumating. mine use to come out within a couple of weeks of me turning lights back on. His enclosure is 1800L x 1000W x 1000H (mm) with glass sliders on the front. It has 2 x 100W ceramic heat lamps both down the OTHER END, both on timers. I gave up on the thermostats because I couldn't get the temps right and found it easier to maintain temps with timers. One heat lamp is only on from 5:00am to 10:00am to help raise the daytime temp, otherwise, with only 1 heat lamp the temp doesn't get up to 28-29C until about 2:00pm - using both heat lamps brings the temp up to 28C by 11:00am. The hotter end is 32-34C with a basking spot at 40-43C. Right, I should NOT have upped the temps in late November as I did - but his room doesn't get sun until mid afternoon so I thought he wouldn't know that it was time to wake up (back then the weather was unusually cold and his room was really quite cool). My mistake, won't do it again! I did just turn his lights on for the first few weeks. I read that the temp for brumating juveniles should be around 24C which is why I kept it at that temp earlier. Now I know that next time I need to lower it to 15C. Hah, that'll be easy, it was rather difficult to keep it at around 24C in winter! In fact this post has prompted me to question the temps now that Jimmi is older. Should I lower the temps now? 25C-26C at the cool end? I'll have another go with those thermostats but I found that the temps fluctuated a LOT using them. And thanks guys for helping a n00b, much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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