Do Gecko's Hibernate?

fl_orchidslave · Oct 30, 2011

jerrymb said:
I literally have not seen my gecko in weeks. He is constantly in his moist hide even when the temps in the house are colder now that Fall is here. Shouldn't he be seeking heat? He barely eats but he is not losing any weight at all. He comes out to poop which is maybe once a week now. I've read that seasonal changes can cause this. It's just no fun not seeing him move around the tank. It almost as though I have a different lizard then I did a few months ago when he was active and eating like a pig.

First of all, the moist hide doesn't need to be moist all the time, especially for adults that don't shed as often as juveniles. In the winter, I suggest placing it on the warm end to help with humidity that house heaters suck out. When temperatures and humidity drop in your home, as well as light from windows, many healthy geckos will start to slow down. Less food, less poop, less activity. Perfectly normal. Geckos are good at cycling themselves and instinctively know when brumation time is coming. Just as they know when it's breeding season. Temperatures and lighting can be manipulated to simulate different seasonal changes, as some breeders do in order to have babies year round in different groups. In my gecko room, the air temp hasn't been below 78, it's usually about 84, but the adults have cut back on food. The light from the window is different. They know.

reps4life · Oct 30, 2011

M_surinamensis said:
Hibernation and brumation are very different physiological processes, totally unique metabolic involvement.

Leos do not, under any circumstances ever, hibernate.

People argue this with me all the time. In 20 years of keeping reptiles I have never had a reptile refuse food unless they were ill. Mostly the sick ones that I took in. All my healthy ones will slow down in activity but never refuse food.

Pinky81 · Oct 30, 2011

reps4life said:
People argue this with me all the time. In 20 years of keeping reptiles I have never had a reptile refuse food unless they were ill. Mostly the sick ones that I took in. All my healthy ones will slow down in activity but never refuse food.

Well then your a lucky individual I guess.

All my geckos are great weight, poop, cruise their tanks and are in tip top shape...and every single adult has at one point or another refused food for some period of time...be it a week...or the month and a half Bonnie slowed last fall.

There's an old saying...Never say never...just saying.

Pinky81 · Oct 30, 2011

M_surinamensis said:
Hibernation and brumation are very different physiological processes, totally unique metabolic involvement.

Leos do not, under any circumstances ever, hibernate.

Of course it is...but lets simplify things here we all know what the OP was asking lets not make it into a trick question.

reps4life · Oct 30, 2011

Pinky81 said:
Well then your a lucky individual I guess. All my geckos are great weight, poop, cruise their tanks and are in tip top shape...and every single adult has at one point or another refused food for some period of time...be it a week...or the month and a half Bonnie slowed last fall.

There's an old saying...Never say never...just saying.

I think I know why. Not everyone is compulsive about maintaining stable temps. I guess if I allowed the temps and or humidity to drop too low it would occur. Although I am aware that a healthy reptile can go some time without food, I prefer not to.

Pinky81 · Oct 30, 2011

I humbly bow down to the better herp keeper!!

reps4life · Oct 30, 2011

Pinky81 said:
I humbly bow down to the better herp keeper!!

I did not mean it that way

Being compulsive is not always a good thing.

gecko4245 · Oct 31, 2011

fl_orchidslave said:
First of all, the moist hide doesn't need to be moist all the time, especially for adults that don't shed as often as juveniles. In the winter, I suggest placing it on the warm end to help with humidity that house heaters suck out. When temperatures and humidity drop in your home, as well as light from windows, many healthy geckos will start to slow down. Less food, less poop, less activity. Perfectly normal. Geckos are good at cycling themselves and instinctively know when brumation time is coming. Just as they know when it's breeding season. Temperatures and lighting can be manipulated to simulate different seasonal changes, as some breeders do in order to have babies year round in different groups. In my gecko room, the air temp hasn't been below 78, it's usually about 84, but the adults have cut back on food. The light from the window is different. They know.

no offense but that's a bad idea. They need the moist hide in the winter too that is how they stay hydrated during the winter when the humidty is too low. in the wild they look for moist shelter under the ground. That is a defense to protect there digestive system because if the body gets too low in water they cannot digest right. that's why they stop eating sometimes if you don't fix those problems.

fl_orchidslave · Oct 31, 2011

gecko4245 said:
no offense but that's a bad idea. They need the moist hide in the winter too that is how they stay hydrated during the winter when the humidty is too low. in the wild they look for moist shelter under the ground. That is a defense to protect there digestive system because if the body gets too low in water they cannot digest right. that's why they stop eating sometimes if you don't fix those problems.

There are other ways to provide humidity besides a constant cool moist hide. Excessive cool humidity can lead to a respiratory infection when air temps drop consistently in the winter.

gecko4245 · Oct 31, 2011

fl_orchidslave said:
There are other ways to provide humidity besides a constant cool moist hide. Excessive cool humidity can lead to a respiratory infection when air temps drop consistently in the winter.

but in the winter we are suppose add another heat source to keep the tanks warm. i don't get it. people just let them get cold?

jerrymb · Oct 31, 2011

gecko4245 said:
but in the winter we are suppose add another heat source to keep the tanks warm. i don't get it. people just let them get cold?

I have the UTH going and I have a red heat bulb going. Other than that what else can I do? I keep my thermostat low in the house. I have to to keep my gas bill reasonable. Can I leave the heat lamp on 24 hrs a day? Nightime temps in my house are around 60F and daytime temps are around 65F no higher.

grboxa · Oct 31, 2011

jerrymb said:
I have the UTH going and I have a red heat bulb going. Other than that what else can I do? I keep my thermostat low in the house. I have to to keep my gas bill reasonable. Can I leave the heat lamp on 24 hrs a day? Nightime temps in my house are around 60F and daytime temps are around 65F no higher.

by heat lamp you mean the red bulb during the day would be fine...some geckos can be disturbed by the red light at night...but you can always just get a creamic heater to heat the ambient temperature in the cage which would raise the cool surface area temp up...if your house goes between the 60-65 what is your cool side temp?, 70 id say right?. Its not a good idea to let it go below 70 try especially during the day aim for 75 night and 80 day. People WILL say that ambient air temperature is not important but it is very much so is important...if low temperatures are exposed for long periods of time the strength of there immune system decreases aswell.

gecko4245 · Oct 31, 2011

jerrymb said:
I have the UTH going and I have a red heat bulb going. Other than that what else can I do? I keep my thermostat low in the house. I have to to keep my gas bill reasonable. Can I leave the heat lamp on 24 hrs a day? Nightime temps in my house are around 60F and daytime temps are around 65F no higher.

can you give us more info so that maybe we can see if something is causing a problem?
can u fill this out.

http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=70912

gecko4245 · Oct 31, 2011

gecko4245 said:
can you give us more info so that maybe we can see if something is causing a problem?
can u fill this out.

http://geckoforums.net/showthread.php?t=70912

you have to measure the temps in his tank. we don't know if you are using a high bulb that maybe too hot and maybe that is why he has not come out for weeks or if is that he is cold. without you telling us all the info we can't help you.

jerrymb · Oct 31, 2011

gecko4245 said:
you have to measure the temps in his tank. we don't know if you are using a high bulb that maybe too hot and maybe that is why he has not come out for weeks or if is that he is cold. without you telling us all the info we can't help you.

Hot side is about 95F. Cool side is close to 80F. Cool side is lower at night. Poop is perfectly normal. I feed him mealworms dusted with Repashy Calcium Plus. When I do take him out of his tank he acts perfectly normal. He's roughly about 1 year old.

gecko4245 · Oct 31, 2011

jerrymb said:
Hot side is about 95F. Cool side is close to 80F. Cool side is lower at night. Poop is perfectly normal. I feed him mealworms dusted with Repashy Calcium Plus. When I do take him out of his tank he acts perfectly normal. He's roughly about 1 year old.

2 things worry me.

sometimes some of them don't like to be held and they get so stressed that when you put them back in the tank they run and hide and will be too scared to hardly come out. If it was me i would stop taking him out for a while. at least a month to see if he starts coming out.

another problem is you should not be taking him out when the temp is below 80 in your house he can get sick or be sick.

jerrymb · Oct 31, 2011

gecko4245 said:
2 things worry me.

sometimes some of them don't like to be held and they get so stressed that when you put them back in the tank they run and hide and will be too scared to hardly come out. If it was me i would stop taking him out for a while. at least a month to see if he starts coming out.

another problem is you should not be taking him out when the temp is below 80 in your house he can get sick or be sick.

Below 80F? It will be until next July before temps in my house go above 80! All winter the temps in my house are around 65F during the day and below 60F at night. He's not stressed at all when I have him out. He seems to love it.

gecko4245 · Oct 31, 2011

jerrymb said:
Below 80F? It will be until next July before temps in my house go above 80! All winter the temps in my house are around 65F during the day and below 60F at night.

My house gets cold too but if i have to take them out to clean the tanks i put up the heat first to warm up the house. They can get sick and i don't think you want that to happen right? we have to make sacrifices for there health. It sounds like he might be really stressed from you taking him out. i don't know 100% BUT THERE is a big chance and if you want him to be healthy i think it's worth leaving him in the tank for a while to see if he comes out more.

jerrymb · Oct 31, 2011

gecko4245 said:
My house gets cold too but if i have to take them out to clean the tanks i put up the heat first to warm up the house. They can get sick and i don't think you want that to happen right? we have to make sacrifices for there health. It sounds like he might be really stressed from you taking him out. i don't know 100% BUT THERE is a big chance and if you want him to be healthy i think it's worth leaving him in the tank for a while to see if he comes out more.

I don't really take him that often lately. Maybe once every 2 weeks or so.

gecko4245 · Oct 31, 2011

I have to go take care of my son right now, but maybe other people can give you idea ok.

Do Gecko's Hibernate?

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