Brumation is a normal winter slowdown, a reptile version of hibernation. An adult bearded dragon may sleep more, bask less and eat little or nothing for weeks or months. ReptiFiles says it usually starts after the first year, in mid to late autumn, and lasts 1–4 months. Its signs look a lot like illness, so have a reptile vet check your dragon before you assume it is brumating, and weigh it every week while it sleeps.
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What brumation is
VCA Animal Hospitals describes brumation as sluggishness or inactivity during winter or long cold spells. It isn’t true hibernation, because the reptile still moves a little and may go looking for water. Wild bearded dragons in inland Australia brumate through the southern winter, which VCA gives as May to August, when days are around 68–72°F (20–22°C) and nights 40–44°F (4–7°C). In a healthy dragon it is part of the yearly cycle that leads into spring breeding.
Pet dragons in the northern hemisphere usually brumate in our autumn and winter instead, as the days shorten and the house cools (ReptiFiles). Not every dragon brumates every year, and some barely slow down at all.
Brumation at a glance
| Question | Answer | Source |
|---|---|---|
| What age does it start? | Usually after the first year | ReptiFiles |
| When does it happen? | Mid to late autumn into winter in captivity | ReptiFiles |
| How long does it last? | 1–4 months | ReptiFiles |
| Should it lose weight? | No. Weight loss is a reason to call a vet | RSPCA |
| When is weight loss serious? | More than 10% of starting weight means stop and see a vet | ReptiFiles |
| Does it need a vet check first? | Yes, before inducing brumation | VCA |
Signs of brumation
ReptiFiles lists these signs:
- Eating less or not at all, without losing weight
- Staying on the cool side of the enclosure
- Spending more time in the hide
- Sleeping more and going to bed earlier
- Being grumpy or less keen to be handled
VCA adds that a brumating dragon usually stops pooping and its skin may look darker.
Brumation or illness?
This is the hard part. Lethargy and refusing food are also the first signs of parasites, metabolic bone disease, impaction and infection. VCA warns that a dragon on a poor diet or carrying intestinal parasites can become critically ill when it wakes from brumation, and advises seeing a reptile vet rather than assuming brumation.
| Sign | Fits brumation | See a vet |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | Steady | Dropping, or more than 10% lost (ReptiFiles) |
| Age | Over a year old | A baby or juvenile that stops eating |
| Season | Autumn or winter | Any other time of year |
| Room temperature | A cooler house | VCA says a lethargic dragon at a normal 60–70°F (16–21°C) room temperature may be sick |
| Eyes and body | No other symptoms | Sunken or swollen eyes, a soft or swollen jaw or limbs, shaking, a thin tail base, or discharge from the vent (PetMD) |
| Enclosure | Basking spot and UVB were right | Basking spot too cool or UVB tube old, so check those first |
Before the first brumation, book a check-up and a fecal test. Before you blame the season, check your setup: a basking spot that has drifted cold or a UVB tube past its replacement date also make a dragon sluggish. Our heat lamp guide and UVB guide give the targets.
How to care for a brumating bearded dragon
There are two approaches. The simpler one is to keep the normal setup running and let your dragon decide: it can stay in its hide and on the cool side, and come out to bask if it wants to. The RSPCA treats brumation this way, as normal slowing down that you watch closely. ReptiFiles describes a planned schedule instead, where you cut the lights and heat in steps. VCA says only experienced keepers should bring brumation on deliberately, and only in healthy animals checked by a reptile vet.
Either way, these steps apply:
- Get a vet check and fecal test first. VCA advises this before any induced brumation, and it is the only way to rule out parasites.
- Weigh your dragon before it starts. Write down the weight in grams. That is your baseline.
- Weigh it every week with a kitchen scale (ReptiFiles). If it loses more than 10% of its starting weight, end brumation and see a vet.
- Let its gut empty. Undigested food sitting in a cold gut is the risk. ReptiFiles stops feeding two weeks before a planned start, then gives a warm soak. If your dragon slows down on its own, stop offering insects once it stops eating.
- Keep fresh water in reach. Change it regularly, even if you never see your dragon drink.
- Don’t let the room get too warm or too cold. ReptiFiles says dragons tolerate about 55°F (12°C) and that the room shouldn’t go above 72°F (22°C), or it may wake early.
- Check on it daily, but don’t keep waking it. A quick look is enough. Let it come out on its own.
ReptiFiles’ planned brumation schedule
For keepers who choose to induce brumation, this is the ReptiFiles schedule. ReptiFiles says brumation should last at least 2 months and no more than 4.
| When | Lights and heat | Food and water |
|---|---|---|
| 2 weeks before | Cut to 6 hours on, 18 hours off | Stop feeding |
| 1 week before | Heat lamps off. UVB stays on the 6-hour schedule | Give a warm soak to clear the gut |
| Start | All lights and heat off | No food. Weigh weekly |
| End, week 1 | Lights and heat back on, 6 hours a day | Offer water and some food |
| End, week 2 on | Back to 13 hours a day | Appetite should return to normal |
ReptiFiles gives 1 December to 1 February as an example in the northern hemisphere.
Waking up after brumation
Bring the lights and heat back to normal over a week or two, and offer water and small meals. Appetite can take a little while to come back. ReptiFiles says that if your dragon’s appetite doesn’t return, or it doesn’t seem to wake properly, take it to an experienced reptile vet. Once it’s eating, go back to the normal feeding schedule in our food guide, with calcium dusting as usual.
Expect some extra energy. ReptiFiles notes that males often head-bob, darken their beards and try to mate with objects for a while after brumation. Our black beard guide covers other reasons a beard turns dark.
Tools we would use
- Scale: Digital kitchen scale in grams. For the weekly weigh-in, the most important brumation check.
- Thermometer: Digital thermometer with min/max memory. Shows how cold the enclosure gets overnight.
- Timer: Digital plug-in timer. Makes it easy to cut and restore light hours in steps.
- UVB: Arcadia ProT5 Desert 12% UVB kit. An old tube can leave a dragon sluggish too, so rule it out before you blame brumation.
More on day-to-day care is in our care guide.
FAQ
How long do bearded dragons brumate?
Usually 1–4 months, according to ReptiFiles. It varies from dragon to dragon and year to year.
Do baby bearded dragons brumate?
Brumation usually starts after the first year, according to ReptiFiles. A baby or juvenile that stops eating is more likely ill, so see a reptile vet.
Should I wake my bearded dragon from brumation?
Not while it is healthy and holding its weight. Weigh it weekly, and if it loses more than 10% of its starting weight, ReptiFiles says to end brumation and see a vet.
Do bearded dragons drink during brumation?
They may. VCA says brumating reptiles stay a little active and may go looking for water, so keep fresh water within reach.