Brumation

Brumation is a semi-hibernation state, entered into during the winter months. Dragons know food is scarce in nature during the cold months. They naturally sleep to slow their systems down and use what nutrients they have stored internally during the spring and summer to get through the winter. Most dragons will go into a slow down mode in the fall around October and then go to sleep in November; sleeping 4 to 8 weeks. Most will awaken temporarily at some point during this time. Adults will normally sleep from a few days to a couple weeks at a time, waking to move around a bit before settling in to sleep again. Some will not sleep at all during the winter.

You'll have to be careful during this time to ensure that your dragon is not sleeping with feces left in its intestines, as bacteria can grow as your dragon sleeps. As their systems are slowed, they are not as able to fight off the bacteria's growth. Once you see your dragon is beginning to sleep more each day in the early fall, give them a lukewarm bath to help them release any feces left. If they wake up, do not feed them as their system is not working at the normal speed; the food would then sit on their stomach and not digest as it should. This can cause several different health problems and sometimes lead to death. I know how hard it is not to offer them food, but please heed my words as I learned the hard way that feeding them during brumation to make yourself feel better is not worth losing your dragon for.

If you read the Heating and Lighting section of the care sheets, it explains how to adjust the heating and lighting during the brumation period. Once your light and heat are on a 10-hour a day schedule for 2 weeks, the hardest part comes. Stop feeding your dragon, no greens or bugs at all. Keep soaking your dragon in lukewarm baths to be sure all the fecal is cleared from their intestines. It is during this time I treat my dragons for parasites and bacteria, so there is nothing left in their system to harm them while they sleep. After a week of no food, it’s time to turn the lights and heat off. It’s best to cover the home with a dark piece of material so the lights and movement in your home do not disturb their sleep. As long as your home does not get below 70 degrees you need to do nothing else. If your home dips below 70 degrees you’ll need a heat emitter or pad to ensure the temperature stays around 70 degrees. You do not want it to be much warmer, as the dragon will then not relax and sleep well. Between 70 and 75 degrees is great. After 4 weeks if you hear your dragon moving around 3 or 4 days in a row, then it is time to reverse the process. Uncover the home and turn the lights and heat back on so that they have 10 hours of light and heat. Offer greens and bugs from the first day; normally it will take a dragon a week or so before they get back up to speed and eat regularly again. Reverse the process once you turn the lights back on until they once again are getting 14 hours of daylight.

Don't force your dragon to brumate. Adjust the lighting and heat as explained in the Heating and Lighting section and then turn off the lights and cover the house. If after 4 or 5 days your dragon has not settled in to sleep, uncover the house. Allow it to remain awake with the shorter light and heat period, but feed it on a normal schedule. Wait 4 weeks, then follow the instructions for bringing your dragon's light and heat back to a spring and summer schedule. Never allow a dragon under a year old to brumate. They can go into a slow down period where they'll eat less and sleep more, but keep their light and heat on a normal schedule.

I always have my dragons tested every three months with a fecal test to be sure they have not gotten parasites or bacteria. I plan one of these tests for the beginning of November to be sure that none of my brumating dragons are sleeping while the harmful things eat at their system; as they are not able to mount an adequate defense. No matter how careful you are, your dragon will get some parasites or bacteria, so be careful before brumation to ensure they are not infested and can sleep in perfect health.

I think allowing them to brumate is the hardest part of owning a dragon. But I know it is beneficial for their health, so I keep myself from being selfish and let them follow a natural routine as they would if still living in the wild.