Brumation and Winter Changes

As the weather cools down outside in late autumn/ early winter, we get lots of phone calls from customers about changes to their pets’ behaviour. In virtually all cases this can be attributed to the weather changes outside and seasonal shifts that our pets can still sense even from within their enclosures in the home.

What sorts of changes should you be looking out for?

The most common changes are decreased appetite and lowered activity levels. You may find that your pets spend a lot more time towards the cooler end of their enclosure or hiding under décor. Its also common that their inclination to eat will dramatically decrease so that some days they don’t eat anything whereas in summer months the same animal may have a veracious appetite.

What sorts of species will brumate?

Species that come from environments that have big seasonal shifts are always going to be the ones that will brumate most readily. This includes lots of the most popular pet species such as bearded dragons, leopard geckos & corn snakes. Many species from tropical and temperate environments that have more stable yearly conditions will still often exhibit some form of winter decrease in activity but its often not quite as pronounced e.g. Panther chameleons and crested geckos.

Is it always related to temperature?

Most of the time lower temperatures outside and shorter day length will be the trigger for brumation, but some species may also be triggered by natural cycles of food availability in the wild and they may often stay in sync with these cycles in captivity. This can explain why species such as Royal pythons will have a period of a few months where they will refuse food which doesn’t always line up with the coldest times of year outside but can often occur in autumn or early spring when seasonal food availability may be lower in the wild.

How do I know if it’s not brumation?

To check on the health of your animal during brumation it should remain alert if picked up or interacted with even if it is hiding away or very tired normally. It shouldn’t show signs of dehydration such as sunken eyes nor should it show any signs of rapid weight loss. Keep an eye out for signs of respiratory infection such as bubbles around the nostrils / mouth or signs of breathing difficulty. If you notice any of these signs you may need to seek additional help from a suitably qualified professional.

What should I do about Brumation?

Brumation is natural and nothing to worry about. Some people will attempt to keep their animal active over winter by reducing the environmental cues that trigger brumation. Other people will try to allow their pets to exhibit this natural behaviour or encourage it by adjusting care accordingly to provide the seasonal variation that their pets are anticipating.

What can I do to discourage it?

To discourage brumation you can increase background and basking temperatures by a couple of degrees during the daytime. You can also try keeping the background temperature up over night by using a nighttime nonlight emitting heat source such as a deep heat projector, ceramic heater, or a heat mat in smaller enclosures. You may also want to change lighting cycles to increase day length by a couple of hours and make sure you have recently changed your UVB bulb for a fresh tube running at optimum output.

What can I do to facilitate Brumation?

Brumation is natural for most of the species that will exhibit this behaviour and it is crucial for some species if you are intending to breed. Without a winter brumation many species of reptile wont breed or won’t produce viable fertile eggs. To encourage brumation you can gradually decrease temperatures by a few degrees and reduce your light intensity both in terms of strength and duration. There are some good thermostats like the microclimate EVO range that allow you to program seasonal changes to temperature cycles and the Arcadia Lumenize range allows you to program different light cycles for your UVB lights over winter as well. For some species a very pronounced Brumation is essential to trigger breeding in the post brumation period. This includes many popular lizards like Uromastyx and collard lizards, along with popular snakes such as hognoses and kingsnakes. If you would like to know how to brumate a species to help trigger breeding behaviour, please talk to one of the team instore for more information.

What about tortoises and Hibernation?

Many of the most popular species of tortoises are species that would naturally go into a state of extended brumation/hibernation over winter, this includes Hermanns, spur thighs, Horsfield etc. Most of these species would hibernate for anything from 8-12 weeks in the wild. For these species you may find it easier to “over winter them” by following the advice for encouraging brumation in other species. If you wish to hibernate your tortoise fully then there are several important steps to follow to do this safely so, please talk to a member of staff in store and check out some of the good online resources available at places like the tortoise trust website. Do not just put them in a box in the shed/garage like people may have done in the past. Hibernation can be fatal if not done correctly.