Eating after brumation

missmacabre · Postby **missmacabre** » Wed Aug 24, 2011 7:05 pm

So Onyxia brumated for 4 months and has been up and about for almost a month now, but he still hasn't eaten anything. Thought he might be coming up to a shed but he hasn't shed either.

Should I be concerned about the lack of appetite or am I just being paranoid?

JoshChimera · Postby **JoshChimera** » Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:05 pm

Offer some food he cannot refuse. What does he eat readily? My skink cannot refuse banana.

Postby **Katrina** » Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:17 pm

Sounds like a normal male to me! He is likely interested in other things, not food. :wink:

This is completely normal coming out of brumation, so I'd just take his weight and make sure he isn't losing weight (check every week or two). Otherwise keep offering food and just wait it out. If he isn't losing quite a bit of weight (10% or so of his body weight) and is otherwise healthy then you have nothing to worry about.

missmacabre · Postby **missmacabre** » Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:24 pm

He doesn't appear to have lost any weight, so you think he's more interested in finding a female at the moment? :doh:

Offered him scrambled eggs a couple of times which he usually loves but didn't touch them.

Any idea on how long this fast is going to go on for? Lol.

BTSspartan · Postby **BTSspartan** » Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:30 pm

missmacabre wrote:He doesn't appear to have lost any weight, so you think he's more interested in finding a female at the moment?

Offered him scrambled eggs a couple of times which he usually loves but didn't touch them.

Any idea on how long this fast is going to go on for? Lol.

honestly i would normally not recommend breeding but if he hasent eaten for a month i would be trying to find him a mate

Postby **Katrina** » Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:37 pm

BTSspartan wrote:
missmacabre wrote:He doesn't appear to have lost any weight, so you think he's more interested in finding a female at the moment?

Offered him scrambled eggs a couple of times which he usually loves but didn't touch them.

Any idea on how long this fast is going to go on for? Lol.

honestly i would normally not recommend breeding but if he hasent eaten for a month i would be trying to find him a mate

Please don't give advice if you don't have enough background or experience to be giving advice - poor advice can have very bad consequences. A BTS can go for many, many months without food. If he isn't losing weight then there is no need to worry - it happens every spring. It normally isn't more than several weeks, but as long as he isn't losing considerable weight then there isn't anything to worry about. Not sure how long it will go on for - if he has been out of brumation for a month it shouldn't be too much longer, but it is hard to tell - all of them are different. It might be a good idea to pick up a scale and just monitor the weight.

missmacabre · Postby **missmacabre** » Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:43 pm

BTSspartan wrote:
missmacabre wrote:He doesn't appear to have lost any weight, so you think he's more interested in finding a female at the moment?

Offered him scrambled eggs a couple of times which he usually loves but didn't touch them.

Any idea on how long this fast is going to go on for? Lol.

honestly i would normally not recommend breeding but if he hasent eaten for a month i would be trying to find him a mate

Umm that's pretty weird advice to be giving. I will not be looking for a mate for him.

He hasn't gotten any skinnier since before brumation and is otherwise alert and active and healthy.

Fatal_S · Postby **Fatal_S** » Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:55 pm

I do believe Kat is right; so long as weight isn't dropping, he's just being a male

No worries if that's his only issue.

Coomassie · Postby **Coomassie** » Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:41 am

When Coomassie woke up this year, he didn't really eat regularly for I think close to two or three months. He did run around like a wacko when we let him out though. I found feeder insects got him back into feeding. He likes to chase down his food. He fancies himself a big scary predator!

acanthurus · Postby **acanthurus** » Thu Aug 25, 2011 8:45 am

Good advice on watching and waiting as above. It's still very early spring and he probably won't fully wake up for another month yet (esp in NZ). Mine have been coming out daily for the last few weeks (shingles more then bluetongues), but I know wont be intersted in food for a few more weeks yet, and breeding until usually the start of October.

I'm sure when he does decide to eat he will make up for lost time...

Lauriek · Postby **Lauriek** » Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:49 pm

I have the same problem with Bailey - out of brumation and looking for girl skinks :lol:

He's not that interested in food at the moment. I would leave food for your skink and if he wants it he will eat.

missmacabre · Postby **missmacabre** » Fri Aug 26, 2011 11:49 pm

Thanks everyone, I feel much better now. I offer food every few days, he's just in a foul mood at the moment :lol:

tiliqua38 · Postby **tiliqua38** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 1:44 pm

Bubba goes a couple of months every spring without eating. And the entire time he is restless, trying to escape all the time. I have no idea what sex he/she is. Is this behavior normally only attributed to male skinks, or do females get restless and not eat in spring as well?

Postby **Scotts1au** » Sun Sep 04, 2011 3:02 pm

Easterns will generally take the odd snail relatively early, even males. Here in Southern Aus I've had individuals not eat properly until late Nov or beginning of Dec but pick at snails. Being indoors under lights during the day is a game changer especially if you are allowing the temp to drop at night, in that case it will take the bluey longer to come around.

Eating after brumation

Eating after brumation

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