Winter eating??

[r1master]

Is it common for your leo's to dramatically cut back on eating or not to eat at all? One of my females hasn't ate in a week now. She hasn't lost any weight but she's not eating at all. She's by herself so I know it's not stress. Thanks for the help.

 

[stager]

Well if the temperature in your home or where your inclosure is kept has droped than yes. Any cold blooded animal will slow down it is normal.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

If she hasn't lost weight and is showing no other symptoms and your husbandry is right, I wouldn't be too concerned yet. It could just be brumation.

Well if the temperature in your home or where your inclosure is kept has droped than yes. Any cold blooded animal will slow down it is normal.

There doesn't need to be a drop in temps to trigger captive 'brumation.'

~Maggot

 

[KTyne]

Yeah, it seems to be quite common. On my local Reptile Club's Forum we were having this discussion and it seems that most people's Leos on there are sort of going into a halfway brumation where they are cutting back on their eating.
My Leo, Gaia, slowed down on eating for a few weeks there but now she's back to normal.

 

[Ghostoftangerine17]

Seems like one of my geckos has also started eating a bit less. It's been more like every third day rather that every other.

 

[acpart]

It's also a question of the amount of light during the day. When the amount of daytime light goes down it can also affect them. I have about 20 adult geckos and their eating pattern during the winter ranges from normal amounts to not eating at all (for months). Everyone is fat and happy.

Aliza

 

[B&B Geckos]

It's also a question of the amount of light during the day. When the amount of daytime light goes down it can also affect them. I have about 20 adult geckos and their eating pattern during the winter ranges from normal amounts to not eating at all (for months). Everyone is fat and happy.

Aliza

This plus they also slow down their eating as they grow more slowly ( juveniles). Some geckos also lose their appetite before they shed due to the discomfort of not fitting in their own skin and others after they shed after eating the skin. So dont sweat it, a week is no big deal at all.

 

[r1master]

Thank you for everything, The only temp difference is on the cool side. That temp has dropped just due to the weather here. But everything else is the same. Hopefully it's just due to the daylight.

 

[Embrace Calamity]

Here's an article on brumation: Reptilian Brumation

"Many temperate, desert, and sub-tropical herps will become less active and feed less in the winter, even when normal ambient and basking temps are provided. I do not adjust the husbandry of my bearded dragons from season to season. They are provided with the same photo-period and heating protocol year round. Yet year after year they begin losing interest in food in late fall, and remain in this psuedo-brumation until spring. During this time, all of my animals will migrate away from all heat sources, and make themselves comfortable in the cooler regions of their enclosure."

Hopefully that'll ease your worries a little. Many of us have leos that have done this over the past several weeks.

~Maggot