am i wrong???ok

[AP27]

Funny how a simple statement can launch a debate. Perhaps now they may rethink their knowledge of brumation vs. hibernation.

 

[Rhetoric]

I always thought there was a slight difference between the two. I had been under the impression brumation was more of a slow down or when the tegus would do a back and forth type thing. And hibernation was out completely, like a bear.

 

[reptastic]

Alexi that's my understanding of it, which Is how it all got started

 

[Wil]

Ok I just got these messages 1) its biologically impossible for a tegu to hibernate 2) they aren't actually sleep they just slowed down 3)a vet told 1member hibernation is a word used for brumation so they technically don't hibernate 4) their metabolism is slowed down it dosent stop like mammals 5) bobby hill and bert langerwolf are wrong and I'm basically ignorant for spreading the information I learned from them.....WOW!!! The biggest problem I have is not one of them has ever owned a tegu or did research on them, they kept comparing what we call hibernationin tegus to what they call brumation in beardies and gecko species, 3 animals from different regions, very different behaviour everything about them is different but "I'm wrong and they are right" is how one member put it

Correct me if I am wrong, but when metabolism stops, doesn't that mean you dead?

Hibernation and brumation are synonymous. Only brumation was the terminology created just for reptiles or ectotherms although I am not sure how accepted it is by the scientific community.

As a side note, bears are not inactive throughout the whole winter. Not only do they give birth during hibernation they will also arise during times of good weather. Mammals still metabolize their fat stores during hibernation and still process food that may be consumed during warmer weather. Reptiles on the other hand can not as they depend on fauna and enzymes in the stomach that are only active when heated up to certain temperatures. In essence, if you feed your reptiles while you are trying to hibernate them, the food could potentially rot in the stomach because those enzymes will not break it down.

Instead of arguing with anyone who may be ignorant, just ask them what experience do they have to prove you otherwise. And of that experience, how many animals to support their findings. You can weed out a lot of b.s. that way usually, but there are always people who just love to argue to make them feel more important than they are.

 

[laurarfl]

I just ignore them, lol

 

[reptastic]

You know wil I asked them that no one ever answered me, so after the insults started flying I just left it alone

 

[Dana C]

I always thought there was a slight difference between the two. I had been under the impression brumation was more of a slow down or when the tegus would do a back and forth type thing. And hibernation was out completely, like a bear.

Actually, many bears and other mammals wake up and emerge from their dens occasionally during the winter. Some sleep straight through but a lot don't.

 

[m3s4]

I don't know if this will be of any help or not, but Ally my B&W was intent on hibernating/brumating this year.

I don't think she was hiberbating, but rather brumating because every week, I would wake her, put her under her UVB, let her warm up for an hour or so, and supply her with a water dish which she readily drank from each time I offered it to her. I didn't try any food because of the low temps (75) in the house and the obvious digestion problems that can occur during this state of torpor for tegus. Then, I'd let her sleep for another week. Without changing any temps in the house, things here in Colorado began heating up - high 70's, and that affected the ambient temp in the house by about 10 degrees avg.

Well, to my surprise, Ally would be up on top of her 4x4 pillow she was previously dormant under every day I came home from work a couple weeks ago - up and ready to return to being active. I obliged and would put her in the sunlight while the weather was warm. We are way ahead of scedule for that type of weather here in Colorado, but due to the ambient changes, Ally's internal clock had to be telling her conditions were right to be active. Oh and she just shed...So apparently she was growing during this time of dormancy.

It just snowed here yesterday. None of my tegus were interested in being up, nor eating. What does this tell me? Well, there was no change in temps in the house. They weren't out in the snow. They did however, sense the drop in barometric pressure and the increase in humidity. The result? Napping tegus that for all I know, were brumating because of the shift in pressure and a storm that although they couldn't see, they could feel.

So, do you think that it's possible the tegu(s) instinctively know when to hibernate and when to brumate? I do, and I think they will do both. My guess would be they do whichever they have to do depending on a number of factors including ambient temps, humidity, burrow depth, location of the burrow, location of the animal, amount of food and amount of water consumed prior to going dormant etc.

Just my 2. Reptastic, I believe you were right when debating those other herpers and that became apparent when they tried to save face after the lll link you provided. By not dropping it the subject and sticking to your guns, hopefully you were able to educate some other reptile lovers and at the end of the day that's all we can hope for.

I have my own theory as mentioned, as to what they do and when they do it but I have no clue how they do it - other then observation, some net-research and a logical approach to what seems to be a very complicated subject that is still up for debate.

As my grandfather used to say, "Don't ask me, I don't know sh|t"