Are you a reptile lover? Do you have bearded dragons? There are many things to consider when planning to breed and raise your bearded dragon as a pet. Not only food, shelter, or care, but you need to know about their special hibernation process.
What is bearded dragon brumation? Brumation is a process like hibernation that beaded dragons adapt during winter. These cold-blooded animals slow down their activity and movement during cold weather. Bearded dragons will become sluggish and don’t want to eat.
To find out more details about the brumation bearded dragon and some similar questions about brumation or hibernation, let’s read until the end of this article.
Now, let’s start with the brumation definition. Brumation is a state in the life cycle of an organism when physical growth, reproduction, and growth are temporarily halted.
This typically reduces metabolic activity and so effectively allows an organism to save energy. Bearded dragon brumation months are often associated with a high-altitude environment and can happen until the cold weather is over.
In extreme environments where environmental conditions become very cold or very warm for extended periods, the metabolism of these animals slows down. At such times, the animals are prone to die of hypothermia.
Hypothermia in reptiles is typically brought on by severe weather, exposure to extremely cold temperatures, and low food and water levels. Many reptiles do not have any internal heat source, so bearded dragon brumation bodies are adapted to survive in these kinds of conditions.
Do Bearded Dragons Hibernate?
After knowing about what is brumation, many have asked whether bearded dragons hibernate. The answer is no, and they only do brumation.
Bearded dragon brumation has its own specialized temperature regulating organs, which are called hemorrhoids.
In temperate climates, these Hemroids expand and contract depending on the level of ambient temperature, which means that animals under stress will tend to exhibit brumation.
Sometimes, bearded dragon brumation or dead can’t be so clearly distinguished. While this is not common and only happens in certain animals, it is still a cause for concern.
Bearded Dragon Brumation
Brumation for bearded dragons is often referred to as “induced hibernation.” In short, the animal suspends its activity to conserve energy during the winter months, when daylight hours are significantly decreased.
One important thing to keep in mind is that this is not a good brumation technique for a novice or first-time beardie owners. That is why I always suggest that new owners get an incubator first to begin crickets early.
The reason behind crickets being fed during the winter is because the animals’ metabolism slows down dramatically with bearded dragon brumation length.
Without food, brumation bearded dragon digestive systems will work overtime, and the process will only be complete with the extensive digestion of raw materials.
With no food to break down, the metabolism of the bearded dragon will not be able to slow down, and the process will continue until the lizard recovers fully from its cold spell.
How Long Do Bearded Dragons Brumate?
Normally brumation bearded dragon will do as long as winter does, and that up to 4 months. When you consider how long do bearded dragons brumate in the northern and southern hemispheres, bearded dragons brumation is really just a matter of seasonal cycles.
Do Bearded Dragons Hibernate In Captivity?
When you see reptile brumation in the wild, it happens every winter. But if you have bearded dragons in captivity, bearded dragon brumation can happen whenever they want.
If your bearded dragon is not acclimated to the cold well enough, he may choose to brumate for the winter. As he brumates, he will probably lose some of his body heat.
That is why some bearded dragons will brumate indoors for a few weeks. You should not try to force him to brumate, as he may snap back into action before you know it.
What is brumation for bearded dragons? A hibernate-like process to slow down their movement, become sluggish, and hard to eat.
What Age Do Bearded Dragons Start Brumation?
The bearded dragon brumation age started from 10 months old to one year old. What is brumation in a bearded dragon? This is a bearded dragon’s way to survive colder months in the wild or in their captivity.
This figure is an average estimate because bearded dragon brumation cannot be predicted with certainty. Some years bearded dragons just brumate a little, but certain years do extreme brumation. It will be difficult to see the difference in behavior when they brumation.
Especially if you have bearded dragons in captivity, brumation bearded dragon can be done in late autumn, which is much longer until spring where the temperature starts to rise.
Do Juvenile Bearded Dragons Brumate?
Some say that juvenile bearded dragons will not brumation until at least nine months of age. Brumation bearded dragons are indeed different, and some bearded dragons can only brumation after three years old.
You can see some of the behavior of the bearded dragon brumation. One of them is a slow movement, don’t want to eat, and loss of weight.
Bearded dragon wrinkled skin is also one of the certain conditions if the bearded dragon is underweight and dehydrated after a long time of brumation.
Do Baby Bearded Dragons Brumate?
Baby bearded dragon brumation doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, but it’s very rare. Baby bearded dragons are not supposed to brumation because it involves low metabolism because not eating for a long period. This will affect the development of the bearded dragon.
Sometimes reptile owners think they have a dead baby bearded dragon because bearded dragons are not supposed to brumation. Because bearded dragon brumation is almost the same as dead reptile because there is almost no movement at all.
Although we generally think of cold weather as synonymous with hibernation, some animals do sleep at certain times of the year. All reptiles, especially snakes, do not hibernate, although some do enter a semi-hibernation state like brumation bearded dragon during the winter season.
Do Bearded Dragons Eat During Brumation?
Brumation in bearded dragons will cause them to eat less, but they shouldn’t lose a lot of weight. During this process, a captive lizard will experience increased activity while its appetite and metabolism stabilize. When should you feed your bearded dragon during brumation?
During bearded dragon brumation, your dragon’s digestive tract becomes extremely inactive. So, instead of breaking down his food at such a rate, he is left with less time to do so. This is great news for you, as you should be able to successfully feed your dragon twice as often.
This is to increase the weight of the bearded dragons and get ready before they brumation because they will rarely eat until the brumation period is over, and bearded dragon not pooping during brumation.
How Do Bearded Dragons Drink Water In The Wild?
Remember that these animals live solely on insects and larva, and to obtain the food, they will strike at the source of the food. That source is their tongue, and it is located behind the gill.
When a bearded dragon brumation drinks from the watery part of his beak, he will suck the liquid up through his mouth and into his gut. what does it mean when bearded dragons mouth is open? The tongue is also used as a sense organ that allowing the lizard to locate food hidden in objects such as logs and wood.
When they do brumation bearded dragons, they will eat less, which will be a problem for drinking problems. In the wild, bearded dragons will usually drink water from puddles formed at the base of a tree or deep inside hollow logs.
The reason for this is that it allows them to consume enough water to maintain a strong metabolism. Furthermore, the liquid has the added benefit of being a great moisturizer.
You must recognize the bearded dragon brumation signs, so you know what to do before they brumation or after. The table below is some of the signs that can be seen when the bearded dragon begins to brumation.
Behavior
Explanation
Sleep more
hibernation-like process where more sleep than other activities.
Hiding
Most of bearded dragons will hide in the shade while resting.
Less pooing
Because they eat little, they also defecate a little.
Appetite decreased
Just eat a little bit, and below normal. Until you lose weight because you eat too little when brumation.
Several things can be done before beardie brumation, such as feeding them more often and also cleaning their bodies before they experience wrinkled skin due to losing weight.
You also still have to prepare food and drink for them, even if they will eat a little at bearded dragon brumation.
How Long Does Bearded Dragon Brumation Last?
More often, bearded dragon brumation signs last for four months. But how long does brumation last will be different if the bearded dragons are used to captivity because the time they do brumation is also not always during winter like in the wild does.
Remember that a bearded dragon’s diet is important during bearded dragon brumation. You should make sure he has enough to eat each day. You can provide your bearded dragon with fresh fruit and vegetables in a separate container or feeder.
Even though they don’t eat much during brumation bearded dragon, giving them fresh food will increase their appetite. This is so that they don’t lose too much weight after they finish brumation.
What Months Do Bearded Dragons Brumate?
In the southern hemisphere, bearded dragon brumation will start in June until August. How long does brumation last? It depends on how long the winter will be. There are up to 4 months of brumation.
Bearded dragon brumation months will be different if you live in colder months in Australia. Bearded dragons will go into a deep sleep, some will burrow until the temperature rises again and they return to normal activities.
Bearded Dragon Not Pooping During Brumation
Don’t panic if your dog doesn’t poop during brumation because dragon digestion is also not very active if they eat too little.
When it comes to not pooping during brumation, you will have to make sure that your bearded dragon has taken his meal.
If your bearded dragon has been eating, he will usually start to make his own poop. If it does not happen, then you need to entice them to eat when they do bearded dragon brumation.
How To Wake Up A Bearded Dragon From Brumation?
This is done if the bearded dragon eats too rarely. You can do this in several ways so that the bearded dragons come out of brumation and eat before they return to their brumation.
You can set the temperatures, so they can be set to the summer cycle. You can also bring a bearded dragon to the sunlight. If both methods do not wake them up in brumation, you can warm them up until they wake up.
The next step is to make sure that your bearded dragon is getting enough food and water. To do this, place him on a thermometer and take the readings wherever you can – don’t be too careful, as you never know when he’ll decide to over-react and head to the bathroom.
Bearded dragon brumation lowers their body metabolism. So to make sure they continue to eat a lot, you can do this, but not too often, so that their bodies are not confused in adapting to brumation.
Bearded Dragon Coming Out Of Brumation
Sometimes how long is brumation also worries pet owners because they eat too little and don’t move much. You can guess when brumation is over if you know when do bearded dragons brumate.
It would be easier if the bearded dragons only brumation in the winter season, so you can know what to do if the temperature rises and they come out of brumation.
Let the bearded dragons enjoy the rising temperatures and feel the sunlight. After that, you can give more food and drink to the bearded dragon brumation so that their weight returns.
How To Differentiate Bearded Dragon Brumation Or Sick?
A bearded dragon that suddenly stops eating, drops to its belly, regurgitates, or does not eat after two days of drinking is exhibiting serious symptoms. This is the same thing when bearded dragon hibernating or brumation.
But to distinguish between bearded dragon sick or brumation, you can see from their eyes, belly color, and tail.
Sick bearded dragons will have cloudy eyes, swollen tails, discolored stomachs, or black mouths. In comparison, some of these symptoms are not found in bearded dragon brumation.
In addition, sick bearded dragons also have the same symptoms as brumation, plus signs on the eyes, tail, or stomach.
How Do I Know If My Bearded Dragon Is Cold?
Bearded dragons should always be kept at a temperature of about 35 degrees Celsius, and you should always make sure their enclosures have a heating lamp above them.
You have to pay attention to bearded dragon brumation or sick because their body temperature also drops when brumation.
When a bearded dragon is cold, he will often go into a semi-rest state, which is when he’ll eat less food than when he’s in a warm condition. If he stops eating and starts showing signs of lethargy and depression, then you should bring him to a vet.
Bearded dragon brumation still wants to eat even a little. In contrast to when they are sick, they don’t want to eat at all.
Bearded Dragon Brumation Temperature
You should keep the basking spot temperature up to 35 degrees Celsius to maintain the normal temperature of the bearded dragons. For the cool side temperature, you can set the temperature of the basking area up to 21 degrees Celsius.
Bearded dragon brumation temperature is too cold if it is below 17 degrees Celsius, and the temperature below is the temperature if the bearded dragon brumation starts.
Difference Between Hibernation And Brumation
Brumation vs hibernation are used interchangeably but what they really mean is very different from one another. While both conditions involve a temporary loss of body heat and therefore lowering the body’s temperature, there is a major difference between the two.
The difference between hibernation and bearded dragon brumation then is how long the hibernating animals are actually in this state.
Hibernation generally lasts only a few days or possibly a week. In some cases, it may last up to five months. Brumation, on the other hand, can last a long period and ends after four months.
How Do I Know If My Bearded Dragon Is Hibernating?
Even though the terms used are bearded dragon brumation, some pet owners still regard it as hibernation.
The first sign of brumation for bearded dragons has decreased appetite and water intake. As the bearded dragon becomes older and less active during the day, these signs may not be as noticeable anymore.
When you look at your bearded dragons’ behavior, you should see that he does not appear interested in anything or does not want to take a drink. You should also see that his scale color has not changed brumation in bearded dragons.
Bearded Dragon Hibernate
Many bearded dragon owners will ask, is my bearded dragon going to hibernate during the winter months? The answer to this question is yes, the bearded dragon in winter will do hibernation called brumation.
Be sure that you do not allow your bearded dragon to get cold during the brumation bearded dragon signs, and you will also find that he will be more susceptible to disease.
Bearded dragon brumation causes them to eat less, so they must be healthy before brumation so that nothing fatal happens because it gets cold when brumation.
When Do Bearded Dragons Hibernate?
Most will do brumation bearded dragons when temperatures are cold but not totally ice cold. This is because warm-blooded reptiles need to spend some of their body heat on running from predators, and in the winter, they use this body heat to protect themselves from cold temperatures.
Even when the weather is a bit extreme, they still tend to do bearded dragon brumation. How long do bearded dragons hibernate also varies, But some bearded dragons will hibernate in the summer or spring, only to wake up once temperatures have warmed a bit.
They will do brumation about one to two weeks is usual. In the wild, they will wake up and go to the location they were sleeping in when they feel threatened. It is not unusual to see a hibernating bearded dragon about three months old.
Bearded Dragon Deep Sleep – Is It Brumation?
This is one of the questions I get asked a lot from people who are new to owning a bearded dragon. The average bearded dragon will need at least 8 hours of sleep per day.
When a bearded dragon is asleep, his body goes into what is called bearded dragon brumation. During this time, their metabolism slows down, and they don’t eat as much. Because of this, the beardies will need more energy to perform properly during the day.
How to wake up a bearded dragon from brumation? You can bathe them with warm water or by changing the lamp to the summer cycle.
When doing brumation, they will hide in the bearded dragon hut and can last up to several months. The difference with deep sleep, bearded dragons will wake up a few hours later.
Bearded Dragon Brumation Too Long – Is It Bad?
It really depends on how long your bearded dragon has been doing it. If your bearded dragon hasn’t been doing it for too long, then you won’t have to worry about it. Bearded dragon brumation or dead will be difficult to distinguish if their brumation time is more than five months.
On the other hand, if you just let your bearded dragon brumate for too long, they can starve because they have eaten less while doing bearded dragon brumation.
Bearded dragon brumation in summer can occur when they are in captivity, but the time is shorter than the winter season.
Bearded Dragon Brumation Tips
There are several things to do when bearded dragon brumation, such as setting the light, entice them to eat, and control their poop before brumation.
This is necessary because, of course, you do not want to be difficult to distinguish between brumation or dead.
You can adjust the light to keep the temperature so that your bearded dragon is not too cold. Don’t overfeed them while they brumation, then make sure they poop before brumation begins.
When new pet owners have bearded dragons, they naturally ask what is bearded dragon brumation? This is a hibernation-like thing that bearded dragons do so that they can survive in colder weather.
They will move less, eat less, and not poop. On average, bearded dragons brumation in winter for up to 4 months, while sometimes bearded dragons also do it in summer, although not during winter.
A concern for pet owners is distinguishing when they are getting cold or doing brumation because the symptoms are almost the same from both. You can tell by the eyes, belly, and tail. Brumation will not show symptoms in some parts of the body.
Before bearded dragons brumation, make sure you feed them more than usual and control them to poop before brumation begins. This needs to be done to not lose too much weight and lethargy during the brumation process.
Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️
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