Share Your Brumation Stories

[Haligren]

Just about every gecko owner I know has had to go through this with their geckos just about every winter. Even if the temperatures in their tanks remain constant, somehow they know that the seasons have changed. We always worry that its "something else" especially if they stop eating altogether. So I thought we should share some of our experiences with this phenomenon to make some, such as myself, feel a bit better about what their reptile is going through. Will they ever eat again? How quickly do they lose weight during this time? What is normal behavior or feeding patterns when they are going through this? When should we be worried?

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of information on this and perhaps it's more of a problem for gecko keepers in the more northern hemisphere where winters are longer and colder. But, as of late, I've noticed a lot of threads asking about why their otherwise healthy leo has stopped eating, stopped pooping, and sleeps all the time.

 

[element1630]

great idea for a thread!!

first off i just wanna share that i just got my first leo on veterans day this year. of course i did my research and had the tank set up before i got it and and never saw any info on brumation. for the first 2 week he never ate and i figured that he was just getting comfy in his new home. then i couldn't figure out why he wasn't active and sleeping all the time. after countless questions, attempts to get my temps perfect and different types of food i had no success with him.

finally i stumbled across this site and read different threads about brumation i figured out that this must be what is going on.

now i realize that he only eats once maybe twice a week and is pooping and shedding. his color is a little faded right now but over all healthy and does still move from one hide to another.

welp, thats my story and i can't wait to read others!!

 

[biggiy05]

My youngest will go for days without eating then clean his dish out a few days later. Tonight we got slammed with snow and while the tank is nice and toasty I have yet to see him come out. I've been taking down the Christmas tree and moving things back and he hasn't even so much as peeked out of his hide.

My other one just arrived yesterday after picking her up so there's that adjustment period but she was only out once and has been in her hide all night since.

 

[Vision Geckos]

My girlfriend had bought her first leopard gecko about one year ago and kept it in a 10gal tank. She had a UTH and seemed all set for winter. She fed him crickets at the time. She goes to school in PA, so during her 2nd semester there, she noticed his appetite was gone. Not declining, not fading, but quite literally gone. He ate nothing. He drank nothing. His coloring was also darkening. He was lethargic. And this was just about the same time we decided to join gecko forums. She stated her case, pleaded for advice. The common response was that geckos eat less during winter, which is true. Not long afterward, she came to discover that her UTH had failed. It had broken. The gecko was receiving no heat for a few weeks. Well. That explained it. She fixed that and bought a new one, and within a week he was chomping down the crickets, lapping up water and his color was brightening.

I guess it is a testament to how careful you have to be in winter. These creatures are completely dependent on external heat sources. But in my own personal experiences, the majority do tend to cut back on their feeding. I will leave 10-15 dusted mealworms in the dish for two days, and if they are not gone by then I swap them out. I put them back in the gutload, and then take 10-15 new ones out, dust them and into the bowl they go.

Sometimes I worry that they're not getting enough variety. For example, today I picked up a cup full of waxworms as well as two dozen crickets. I hope that these efforts stimulate their appetites and get them back into the eating mood. On top of that, it's nutritionally a good idea to vary up the diet. So it's really something I like to keep an eye on. Fortunately, my day job allows me a good deal of time for my hobbies. And I think the more time you can spare, the better results you'll get.

 

[Gregg M]

Even if the temperatures in their tanks remain constant, somehow they know that the seasons have changed.

I would have to disagree with this statement... If you keep them hot with constant ambient air temperature of 80 degrees or sjightly higher, there should be no slowing of feeding...

Something everyone needs to understand is just because your leo is "sleeping" and not eating, it does not mean your gecko is brumating properly... If their other body functions are not slowed, they will lose too much weight... Leopard geckos need to be brought down to a certain temperature in order to be brumated properly...

If you have a hot spot and the temps in the cage are over 60 degrees and there is a day and night cycle, you are not brumating properly...

Reptiles do not work on a biological clock when it comes to brumation... They go by the temperatures and humidty levels around them... When your gecko stops feeding in the winter, it is because it is not being kept hot enough... There is no such thing as "winter slow down"... That is a made up term that has been regurgitated a lot...

There is no need to atempt brumation with leopard geckos... Keep them HOT and they will not go off feed...

 

[Haligren]

I would have to disagree with this statement... If you keep them hot with constant ambient air temperature of 80 degrees or sjightly higher, there should be no slowing of feeding...

Something everyone needs to understand is just because your leo is "sleeping" and not eating, it does not mean your gecko is brumating properly... If their other body functions are not slowed, they will lose too much weight... Leopard geckos need to be brought down to a certain temperature in order to be brumated properly...

If you have a hot spot and the temps in the cage are over 60 degrees and there is a day and night cycle, you are not brumating properly...

Reptiles do not work on a biological clock when it comes to brumation... They go by the temperatures and humidty levels around them... When your gecko stops feeding in the winter, it is because it is not being kept hot enough... There is no such thing as "winter slow down"... That is a made up term that has been regurgitated a lot...

There is no need to atempt brumation with leopard geckos... Keep them HOT and they will not go off feed...

This is most likely the case with mine. Due to several reasons, the temperatures in my gecko's tanks have been up and down since winter started. It's difficult to keep them constant in a drafty basement. I also found out that Mandarin's heat mat is beginning to fade - one spot on the mat is heating but the other parts are not. For now it seems to be holding out until I can get a new one. I've managed to stabilize the temps in both tanks for now and for the passed week or so, it has been about 93-95 over the hot spot with ambient air temps in the 80s or so and 70s on the cool side. My leos have definitely been slightly more active and their color is looking brighter, but they are still not eating. And they'll probably continue to not eat because I'll have to move them soon.

That being said, neither have lost any weight as of yet. Their metabolisms seems to have slowed and they aren't producing waste as quickly as normal (their feces look normal though, when they do go). And Mandarin's a big fatty so I'm not terribly concerned about her. She's also far more laid back than Tiamat and I'm sure I could get her to eat with a few crickets. Both ate a little over a week ago, but I wish they would eat more. :\

My above statement is based on what others have told me about their leos supposedly brumating. Tiamat's temps have remained more stable than Mandarin's and she is still on and off feed.

 

[leogecko88]

Yoshi hasn't slowed at all. I have kept her temps the same as they were in summer.

 

[Fuzzy]

Question- Do babies Brumate? My newest leo hasn't eaten and has barely explored her tank, and I bought her last Saturday (a week and a day ago today). I'm beginning to worry, but she does seem to sleep a TON and I was thinking this could just be brumation. What's the word?

 

[Daidra]

I never use brumation with my geckos(nor do I have to) and they eat like pigs and produce even more babies than if you did cool them.

 

[Fuzzy]

Brumation is like mini-hibernation, not a heating technique

 

[Dreaddinit]

This would explain my situation aswell. My leo usually stays in the cool side during summer and hot in winter. The hottest the hot side gets in winter is around 85-90. Usually in the summer its around 89-96. I have seen it 100 at times! and its def. time for action.

With so much variation in temps I see why this slight hibernation is possible. Usually in my room which is also the geckos room. Every time the weather changes we can tell what season it is just by feel. So, say hypothetically we stay in this room one full year, never see the outside world, or have anyway of knowing what the season is by looking. I can tell you weather it's winter or summer outside just by temp in this room.

One reason is, this room is upstairs with nothing but attic surrounding me. Downstairs is always a constant temp. During the different seasons upstairs temps change with the weather. In other words, it's never clicked with me before but when the room is cold, he hides, doesnt eat much and hardly anything to clean up. When the room is warmer he is the complete opposite. I have had my leo for about 4 years and he's always done this like clock work. If we can feel it I know he can. Just my observations.