August 14, 2013

One year came and went!  Mario is now just over a year old and is already letting us know how grown up she is.  For the past two weeks she has absolutely refused to eat anything.  This really worried me so I turned to the internet.  Turns out, everything she is doing points to her first brumation. 

For those of you that dont know what brumation is, it's like a lizard hibernation.  Mario has slowed down her metabolism, doesnt eat, and sleeps a lot more than normal.  Some bearded dragons will even go into a deep sleep that can last for months.  Let me tell you, it was such a relief to know that what she's doing is completely natrual.  I found her a cozy new hide and she crawled right inside and curled up as soon as put it in her tank.  The key with helping a beardie through their brumation is leaving them alone (no bugging!!) and keeping them hydrated.  I have warm baths and a water dropper just waiting for her when she wakes up.  She has been just taking looooong naps (almost a whole day long) and whenever she wakes up  give her water.  I read on another blog that one  beardie owner has a dragon who goes into that deep sleep for three whole months.  She just takes him out everyweek and gives him a bath.....he just sleeps through the whole thing! 

Ive been weighing Mario to make sure she isnt losing to much weight during this brumation.  This morning she came in at a hefty 510g.  she is still about 19 inches long but is starting to fill out a bit.  Still as chubby and cute as ever!