shinglebacks eating

[mikep]

is it normal for shinglesbacks to go off there food in the winter mine wont really eat

 

[MesseNoire]

Brumation?
Have they started to hide as well?
Have your temps dropped?
How long have you had them?
Has this happened before?

 

[JordanG]

brumation.
if they are eating a little bit it should be fine its normal behaviour. How much excactly are they eating?

 

[mikep]

help

hi thanks for the interest, temps have dropped but still have heat pad and light but general temperature has dropped a dew degrees. this is my first winter with them so not they havent done it. the do hide up the cold end of he tank.i have had them for about 6 months is a adult pair !!!! cheers

they are eating about once a week being offered food 2 to 3 times a week still drinking abit. and when they eat its not much but they dont seem to have lost any or much weight. i am offering them mashed fruit with cat food. thats there usual food substituted with meal worms, mince meat as a treat and bannana aswell. they seem to only eat mince meat and the rest that i offer them either is ignored or tasted for abit and then they dont eat it. i have only tried mince as they have no interest in the usual food. they seem healthy no sneezing, or watery eyes clean enclosure right temps right humidity. i think is it brumation

???????????

can anyone help ??????

so is this normal or not ????

 

[mandyreptiles]

I have had shinglebacks for many years and most of them slow right down over winter but unlike my Blue-tongues they like popping out of brumation every few weeks. Watch they don't get too far under 10-12 degrees as they are susceptible to pneumonia (several of mine go to the coolest end every year and always get the sniffles: so my coolest end is now always above 10 degrees). Mine love kangaroo mince (not much fat) with fresh veggies chopped through and snails. I only feed every few weeks and just a few mouthfulls, they don't want more than that (cold in Canberra although they are in a 14 degree reptile room). Must do alright cause they breed and are very healthy.

 

[ozziepythons]

I have had shinglebacks for many years and most of them slow right down over winter but unlike my Blue-tongues they like popping out of brumation every few weeks. Watch they don't get too far under 10-12 degrees as they are susceptible to pneumonia (several of mine go to the coolest end every year and always get the sniffles: so my coolest end is now always above 10 degrees). Mine love kangaroo mince (not much fat) with fresh veggies chopped through and snails. I only feed every few weeks and just a few mouthfulls, they don't want more than that (cold in Canberra although they are in a 14 degree reptile room). Must do alright cause they breed and are very healthy.

Thats interesting what you have observed from yours getting too cool, as where I work in the bush they are very common (found one even yesterday when I moved some pipes) and lately we have had frosty mornings, water troughs frozen over and all.

 

[mikep]

cheers guys. that clears it up for me tried your food and they ate quite abit, mine to seem to go into brumation for a week or two and then come out of it also im in bathurst and naturally they are from near here a little more out west but in winter it gets to freezing and most nights are around 1-5 degrees what would they naturally do ?????

 

[varanophile]

I leave mine outside all winter, and don't generally feed them from the end of April through to mid August, including this years young. Night time temps are in the range of 1 - 10 degrees. The cold is not a problem so long as they have somewhere dry to hide.

Brumation is a bit of a balancing act to keep them in good shape. They need to have good weight before they start. They need to be kept cool enough that they are not burning too much feul, i.e. if they need the low temps to shut down their metabolism. I check on them regularly to make sure they are going ok. Remember the most important thing is to keep them dry.

If you choose to keep feeding them over winter then you must keep them warm enough that they are able to digest the food i.e. basking temps of 25 - 30 degrees, and give them light cycles that trick them into thinking it is still summer.