Hi! I was scrolling through the server, learned a bit about “brumation”, however what can I do if my Leo doesn’t come out to get food? I saw something about making the temperature higher during the day or something, but what does that do? Also I would like to learn more about brumation and tips and tricks ^.^ for Leo’s!
#Leo in humid hide most of the month
wooden monolith
jolly idol
What does your enclosure look like currently if you dont mind me asking and what temps do you currently have set in your tank?
NQA a healthy Leo could honestly go months without food and be fine but my Leo during last brumation only ate like 5-10 bugs a month and only came to say hello to me a few times every month which is nothing like her during the warmer non brumation months
NQA it completely depends on each individual Leo, the most important thing to watch out for is to check up on them and ensure they arent losing weight like super fast
wooden monolith
wooden monolith
NQA a healthy Leo could honestly go months without food and be fine but my Leo d...
I’m going on vacation at the end of December, and my cousin will come in and feed her, but now I’m worried as she won’t be coming out cuz she will be in the moist hide
I’m not sure if it’s right to distract her while she’s in her moist hide to eat food
I assume people up their temperature to get them to be more active? , the hot spot is set at 95 F
jolly idol
I assume people up their temperature to get them to be more active? , the hot sp...
normal basking temps should be like 95f-98f or around there normally anyways
wooden monolith
There is a website I was reading to just turn off the heat source completely why is that
jolly idol
NQA if your leo doesnt eat when your cousin tries feeding then its not too big a deal, keeping fresh water in the water bowl is more important though since they will most likely come out to drink at least
some very experienced owners (usually very experienced breeders generally if i recall) will shut off the heat source to deepen the brumation and help with breeding or just to help make the process more natural and complete
I dont believe there is anyone in here that even does that though since its considered super advanced and not necessary at all
wooden monolith
I see, well is there anything I should do or change? I shouldn’t disturb my Leo or it doesn’t matter?
wooden monolith
@last raven sorry for ping but Ik ur a good person to ask about these types of stuff!:)
last raven
i can help but unfortunately i’m on my way to the airport right now haha
i’ll be home in approximately 7-8 hours though if that’s okay
last raven
i got a bit of time rn, so
i wrote a little “guide” thing about brumation for me and my friends, i can post it here if you’re interested. if your leo is a healthy adult, there’s no worry. you just need to make sure they’re not rapidly losing weight
you can turn off the heat source but it’s a bit more intricate than that, it’s explained in the thing i wrote 
some leos are very sensitive to seasonal changes and they will be less active during winter by default. you can maintain their temperature and keep offering food if you want!
ill just post it here, however theres some parts that require minor correction. just wrote it for myself rly lmao
Brumation in Leopard Geckos
Brumation is the reptilian equivalent of mammalian hibernation resulting in the animals’ metabolism slowing down during the winter months. Normal signs that your leopard gecko might be getting ready to brumate are:
- Appetite loss
- Preferring the cooler side of the enclosure
- Less basking and more hiding
- Decreased activity
It’s important to note the distinction between these automatically occurring behaviors and full brumation in captivity that’s artificially induced by the keeper. Your leopard gecko might or might not show these behaviors during the winter months, but if they do, you don’t necessarily have to go all the way. In fact, as of now, research does not suggest that brumation has an inherently beneficial effect on health or longevity in captivity, so it is fully optional. Do not brumate your leopard gecko if:
- They are younger than one year
- They are underweight or otherwise not healthy
- You are not an experienced keeper
- You are not familiar with common leopard gecko illnesses/issues
If you do choose to brumate your leopard gecko, the following steps are what I personally recommend to enable a smooth process and to help minimize the risks.
- Set the heating and lighting to be on for 10 hours a day
- Stop feeding and leave the tank as it is for two full weeks
- After these two weeks, set the basking spot temperature to 25c/77f. Leave that for two weeks as well
- Then, turn off the heating completely. Note that the ambient temperature should ideally not go below 18c/65f. Set the lighting to 6 hours a day
Your leopard gecko might not immediately start sleeping more or even be less active, especially if they haven’t shown signs prior to you starting the process. This is not an issue and does not mean you have to stop the process or end it early. They may start showing signs as early as October and up until March. I would recommend brumating them for three or four months; I’m brumating mine from the beginning of November to the end of January.
As for potential risks, there are a couple of things that can go wrong, so it’s essential to monitor your gecko to catch these things early and stop the process.
- Respiratory infection: look for abnormal breath sounds and/or wheezing. Geckos that develop an RI during brumation are very likely to have had an underlying issue prior to this
- Impaction: not giving them enough time between the last feeding and turning down the heat can lead to them not properly digesting their last meal as their metabolism slows down during brumation
- (Rapid) weight loss: while rapid weight loss is a cause for concern in general, brumating geckos should not lose weight at all. It is essential to keep a close eye on their weight while they are brumating
If your gecko continues to be active and alert even after the heat has been turned off, they may lose weight more easily. Use your best judgement and pull them out of brumation if you notice that they are losing weight (approximately more than ~3g in under a few months). The process for pulling your leopard gecko out of brumation is just the four steps above in reverse. A healthy leopard gecko should not run into any issues, but it is best to stay alert and check on them frequently.
wooden monolith
you *can* turn off the heat source but it’s a bit more intricate than that, it’s...
Question, how do I offer food if she’s always in her humid hide? I took her out of her humid hide and held her for a bit and then put her under her hot spot slate and then i let her know what I’m giving her food and then she comes and eat it, idk if that’s okay to do
last raven
i wouldnt take her out for every feeding
wooden monolith
i wouldnt take her out for every feeding
I food her every 3 days
last raven
its fine once in a while but if she doesnt come out anyway its likely she doesn’t go out of her way to get food
im abt to fly sorry ajdhjs
wooden monolith
im abt to fly sorry ajdhjs
All good, no rush lolol
last raven
so if they’re just in the hide all the time and not actively seeking out food, i’d leave them be. just keep a close eye on their weight/body condition
wooden monolith
so if they’re just in the hide all the time and not actively seeking out food, i...
She would be fine for not eating for months? So does my cousin need to come and feed at all for the two weeks I’m gone?
last raven
is she a healthy adult?
well he needs to come anyway for water changes and to mist the humid hides. weight should also be checked frequently if she isn’t eating
wooden monolith
@last raven I’d say yes, dunno if u can tell but
Lets say her weight does drop, due to not eating much, what do I do then
last raven
she’ll be okay
that’d be an indicator that something is wrong in general
of course, dropping 1-3g would be normal when they’re not actually brumating but not eating
wooden monolith
of course, dropping 1-3g would be normal when they’re not actually brumating but...
So a big drop
wooden monolith
**Brumation in Leopard Geckos**
Brumation is the reptilian equivalent of mammali...
Also I would need to do the steps u provided right? Since I’m fine with her brumating
last raven
i wouldn’t unless you feel very confident about it
i wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re an experienced owner. use your best judgment
last raven
So a big drop
yep
last raven
she could use a few grams less anyway imo lmao
wooden monolith
she could use a few grams less anyway imo lmao
Is it because her body is fat
Also for ur step 1. It’s typically 12 hours right, so change it to 10 hours?
Do you have any advice on getting the tail fatter cus stuff is hard
I got her when she was looking like this
last raven
she’s overweight, she doesn’t need any fattening up
how often do you feed her?
i’d do no more than once a week
wooden monolith
i’d do no more than once a week
oh my! I did it daily from when I got her, then I changed to every other day like two months ago, and now I do every 3 days.
last raven
yeah i’d feed once a week only
wooden monolith
yeah i’d feed once a week only
Ok thanks! So basically I don’t do anything now, since I am Unexperienced and don’t want to mess anything up, maybe next winter though. But leave all heating and lighting the same since I don’t want to do it, but just put water in the water bowl daily?
