Ackie Questions

[mysnakesau]

since I got my ackie, I have been following advice I received from here, to bath him weekly to prevent shedding skin cutting into his toes.

What about brumating ackies? Do you disturb them to keep up the bathing or just let them go. In the last month I have only seen him out twice. I nabbed him both these days for a bath but he has been in hiding ever since. I have gone looking for him to make sure he is still there and still alive, but I don't like disturbing sleeping babies. Someone else suggsested spraying their basking spot but the heat dries up the moisture really quick, so that wouldn't benefit at all, would it?

He frightened me here. Before I took the photo I threw his door open thinking I had a dead lizard stuck on his side squashed between the rock and the wall. Then his little eyes opened - talk about heart attack. He went back to sleep without moving.

 

[bredli-sli]

why do you have to bath him? iv gott ackies and mine just do there own thing? so but what does brumating mean? sorry i might be able to help you

 

[Bushfire]

No you will not need to bath your ackie. When mine were very young every now and then I would lightly spray inside the stack by other than that I havent had much dramas with shedding. I wouldnt brumate a young ackie, and if it is older and you are brumating them I wouldnt be spraying them or disturbing them. When I did spray them I would say something like every third maybe fourth day and once they are a few months old I wont bother with the spraying.

 

[BenReyn]

I'm not sure if I can answer your question mate, I've never heard f this bath a week rule, but different keppers have different succesful methods.
Although, Bredli-Sli, I can answer your question, basically brumating is the reptilian version of hibernating to put it simply
Ben.

 

[bredli-sli]

ohkay cheers, well my ackies at home are always hidding now, even though the heat is still up

 

[mysnakesau]

Bushfire - thankyou for your reply. I am not intentionally brumating my ackie. I have not changed his temperatures. He just decides himself that he is going to hide for days/weeks on end. I am only presuming he has gone to brumate but his temps have suffered with onset of winter. I have added another couple stacks below his light so give him a hotter spot so that is still well over 50c, but his coolest corner is 22c

Benryan I was advised that bathing them regularly, or spraying their enclsoure as Bushfire has suggested, is crucial to stop shed skin constricting his toes. I heard that little monitors losing toes was a common problem with ackies and that bathing them regularly would prevent this happening.

 

[Bushfire]

You are very much of the right track ben, in the true meaning hibernating is what bear do ie. Go to sleep the whole winter and wake in the spring. Reptiles generally spreaking dont do this, over winter on some of the warmer days they come out to bask this is termed brumating. But dont worry Im sure we all knew what you saying or getting at. But thats the difference between hibernating and brumating.

 

[pythons73]

Dont panic Kathy,i havent seen my little fella for a few days,i can just see his head under some bark,he did move a bit so i no he isnt dead.Also the temperature is still around 50-55 degrees.

 

[Bushfire]

If he isn't regularly feeding or active and you are abit concerned up the basking temp a tad. Generally I normally have it over 60oC even hotter. But in all honest it may not convince him to be more active. If he is being inactive dont bother spraying just monitor him for signs his shedding.

 

[Ships]

I bath/soak mine about once a week and give them a light brush with a soft toothbrush just to make sure their toes are clear of old skin. Mine are frustrating as they are constantly in varying stages of shed cycle, never totally clear.

 

[mysnakesau]

Thanks Mark You know me too well, eh.

Bushfire I use to have his basking spot up between 60-70 (closer to 70 ) but I was told that was too hot for a baby. But then again, with the stack I have for him, he can bask at a couple different levels. So I suppose if it was too hot he just wouldn't go there. Might put another slate slab on and see what happens.

Cheers for all the replies. I won't worry too much now. Ships who would ever have thought of a toothbrush for his feet. Thank you, will go out tomorrow and buy my goanna a toothbrush

If he isn't regularly feeding or active and you are abit concerned up the basking temp a tad. Generally I normally have it over 60oC even hotter. But in all honest it may not convince him to be more active. If he is being inactive dont bother spraying just monitor him for signs his shedding.