brumation/hibernation poll

[Rhetoric]

When your tegu(s) finally go down for the winter do you leave them in their enclosure or do you remove them and put them into tubs?

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

Mine never hibernated so I haven't had to deal with it but,.. there's no reason to remove them from their enclosure. Unless they're kept outside and you live some where that gets heavy snow.

 

[Toby_H]

There is a reason to move them out of their enclosure...

Their metabolism rate is directly controlled by their body temperature. The higher their temperature the higher their metabolism, the higher their metabolism the more energy they use, the more energy they use the more resources they need... but while they hibernate they are not intaking resources...

Therefore, if they are not cooled, and they sleep a long winter, they are much more likely to starve or dehydrate...



The one year my Tegu hibernated, which was his first year, I put his enclosure in a garage which was in the 50s ~ 60s (*F)...

 

[jerobi2k]

with my 3yr+ Ive never moved him out of his unit and always kept fresh water and also put a dish of food in there regularly.

 

[tora]

Hey thanks for that info Toby!
It stays pretty warm here, even in the winter, so if mine goes down again I'll probably move her.
This last time I let her stay in her enclosure.

 

[Rhetoric]

There is a reason to move them out of their enclosure...

Their metabolism rate is directly controlled by their body temperature. The higher their temperature the higher their metabolism, the higher their metabolism the more energy they use, the more energy they use the more resources they need... but while they hibernate they are not intaking resources...

Therefore, if they are not cooled, and they sleep a long winter, they are much more likely to starve or dehydrate...



The one year my Tegu hibernated, which was his first year, I put his enclosure in a garage which was in the 50s ~ 60s (*F)...

I'm worried about it getting too cold during the winter. They're in the garage but it gets pretty cold mid-winter. Is 50-60* ideal for hibernation? I'm not even sure if they will hibernate.

 

[herpgirl2510]

How do you know when to move them?

 

[laurarfl]

I leave them in the enclosure in the garage. There is one bottom cage that I worry about and I moved the bottom tegu to the top cage last year. I've also added supplemental heat to that cage since it gets the floor draft.

 

[Strange_Evil]

*Bump* Why a thread like this died is beyond me, any more input?

I was originally going to move mines to a bin, but think ill just keep him in the cage.

 

[Rhetoric]

I still have no idea what mine are doing. Guru was gone for almost a week and then came back and hasn't stopped eating. Rango and the Hybrid are out their entire light cycle, which was 8/16. I had to change it to 10/14 because I would see them under their light after they had been shut off...

 

[JohnMatthew]

Mine are in an outdoor enclosure so I wait until we start getting frosts and then bring them inside for the winter. I don't use a bin, just let them find a spot they like in a spare room(stays around 50-60 degrees in the winter) with a clean water source always available should they feel the need.

 

[kellen.watkins]

i thought my extreme was getting ready to go down now im not sure, she isnt out for long but it is daily and she isnt eating as much but still quite a bit im gonna stick both my gus in my new enclosure and see what happens, anything negative happens i can always split the cage in half and let vanilla hibernate on one half and eli do what he does on the other half

 

[Strange_Evil]

So i didn't see renji at ALL today. Weird because yesterday he was out all day. Weird little tegu he is.