Question regarding hibernation.

[Skeetzy]

Roadkill, you are a bundle of information. Once again I appreciate your responses. Got my guy on 10 hour days right now, with only a small(3*) night time temp increase. Since my ceramic heat emitter runs 24/7, that's what's adjusted for temp. This should only bring his day time ambient up to about 80 on the warm side, 75/76 on the cool side. I'll leave him on the 10 hour cycle the entire time, and probably leave the temps right where they're at the entire time. Seems to be more natural, if I read everything correctly.

He is somewhat exposed to windows. His cage is right up against one, but it's the side of his cage, which the only way he can see that light is through (3) 2" vents. Louver style at that, so very little light seeps through these. The other window is visible through his glass, but that blind is almost never open. I live on the first floor, and it faces a busy parking lot. Don't like people seeing into my room. Might motivate a break in with all my electronics and animal cages lol. But his cage barely receives much of that light, due to its position in relation to the window. I don't think it affects him, but only time will tell here. If it helps any, even during bright day time hours, with the blinds open, it's rather hard to see into his cage.

Thanks once again for sharing your knowledge. If I'm doing something you, or anyone, sees wrong, let me know. But of course the unsupported claims attacking me because you wouldn't do so with your animal will be ignored. I appreciate facts and true personal experiences over hearsay.

 

[laurarfl]

To be honest, I cannot give a concrete number as to how many I have woken up that were hibernating, I haven't kept track of that. All I can say is that I spent about 10 years researching specifically hibernation in tegus, primarily from a physiological standpoint, most of those years in the lab doing things like forcing tegus in and out of hibernation, but also several years in Brasil recording the process from a more natural standpoint. I co-authored the chapter "Overwintering in Tegu Lizards" for the book "Life in the Cold: Evolution, Mechanisms, Adaptation, and Application" for the 12th International Hibernation Symposium in 2004. Perhaps you've read it?

Yes! I have skimmed it before. I think I will go and give it a deeper read now. I'm so glad to have you here, welcome to the forum. I was thinking of you and the valuable information you could add to this topic.

 

[BatGirl1]

So I should not be worried about niles not eating and yet still coming out to bask most mornings then...I'm gathering from peoples posts.? Ugh.new tegu mommies and their anxiety...

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[Skeetzy]

I'd say just keep an eye on his weight. If he's not thinning out then nothing to worry about really. Different species, but my bearded dragon stopped eating for over a month, maybe even two, before finally settling down and sleeping. He skipped his first winter, so caught me by surprise. I offered food almost daily for awhile, but it was a waste of time.

 

[BatGirl1]

Yeah I've been trying different things but he's like "nope...get that crap away from me and pick me up ". He still likes to be held briefly then when starts walking around I put him back and he finishes his bask and goes back under his hide....

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His tail still looks fat but skin getting really wrinkly so hope sheds soon.he hasn't shed for me yet. I've had him since 9/11/2012. Keep misting too when he comes out to bask.

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[Skeetzy]

It worked! He's out basking for the first time. I was working in his cage misting and mixing the dirt up, and he wasn't timid of me at all. I acted like he didn't exist and he did the same. Hopefully this lasts longer than today!

 

[chitodadon]

Thats good

from Samsung Galaxy S3

 

[laurarfl]

Awesome Skeetzy!

 

[Skeetzy]

Might have been a fluke. Surprised by how many times he came back out yesterday to bask. But it looks like he poked his head out today in a couple spots so well see tomorrow.

 

[ccole93]

So it isn't a good idea to wake them up? Mine has been down for a month and I miss him dearly. I want to at least give him some water every week... I read reptiles need it during brumation. He was born this past June. Could I maybe coax him out of it?

 

[james.w]

I don't feel it is a good idea, if they need/want water they will come out for it. You can try to coax him out, some people have been successful by pouring warm water over where they are burrowed.

 

[Roadkill]

It's definitely a good idea to give them water during hibernation. Contrary to what many people think, it appears tegus don't utilize that much of their fat storage during hibernation (metabolising fat would actually generate water as a byproduct). It appears that tegus primarily utilize protein as a metabolic substrate during hibernation, which can generate toxic byproducts especially if not properly hydrated.
If you want your tegu to hibernate, leave them be, provide a water dish to drink if they need it. If you want to try bringing them out of hibernation, then feel free to try waking them up, it isn't going to do any harm from just waking them up. I pick my guys up all the time, will cuddle with them to give them a bit of warmth. In the wild, they frequently wake up and bask during hibernation, it is part of the natural process.

 

[james.w]

I agree THEY will wake up on their own. Of course I haven't done the research you have, but if the animal needs water, I'm sure it will get it as long as it is available.

 

[ccole93]

I don't know, I just woke him up and he drank for a good five minutes. He got up for a bask and explored his cage for a while but I haven't seen if he's gone back down. If he does I think I'll get him up at least once a week for some water and basking. Brumation is a much milder form of hibernation from what I've read. Thanks for the help, Roadkill!

 

[Roadkill]

No, brumation and reptile hibernation are one and the same, there is no difference. Anyone telling you anything else really don't know what they're talking about.

 

[ccole93]

Alright. So what's the best way to rouse him? Gradually with lighting or should I dig him out every day?

 

[james.w]

Why not just let him hibernate if that is what he wants to do?

 

[TeguBuzz]

Why not just let him hibernate if that is what he wants to do?

Im wondering the same thing.

 

[ccole93]

Because if there's no harm in waking him up I'd rather see him. Thought that was kind of a given. This thread has so far led me to believe that it won't kill or seriously harm him to wake him and Roadkill seems to understand it better than anyone else.

 

[Roadkill]

Personally, I basically do agree that if they want to hibernate, let them do so unless you notice severe weight loss, sinking eyes, or it has been a disturbingly long time. However, that being said, I also know there isn't anything very harmful about bringing them out of hibernation. I have a feeling that this may shorten their lifespan in the long run (think of hibernation as like pressing the pause button) but not in any severe sense. I stress this is JUST an educated guess as at this time I have no concrete data or even anecdotal experience to support this view.

As for rousing them out of the physiological state of hibernation, my feeling is that gradually increasing the photoperiod is the strongest signal they respond to. That being said, I also concomitantly increase temperatures during this process. For my tegus, I try to mimic the natural conditions that I recorded while I was in Brasil: photoperiod adjusted by roughly 1-2 minutes a day, and while temperatures highly fluctuated, my data would seem to suggest that the crux between the hibernation/active state was when temperatures no longer dropped below 23-24 degrees Celsius. So for this, during the arousal period I gradually increase photoperiod by 2 minutes a day (from a minimum of 10.5hL:13.5hD) and while I allow the regular thermal regime to progress (heating during the day, cooling at night), I progress my minimum nightly value from ~18 degrees Celsius upwards by about 1 degree C every 2-3 days until I hit a minimum nightly value of about 27-28 degrees Celsius.