lee
New Member
Posts: 29
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Post by lee on Sept 28, 2010 12:24:44 GMT
Hi Everyone
Just after some advice really as this will be my first year hibernating outside. Has anyones lizards gone down yet? As my one Lacerts Viridis has disappeared and my male Lacerta Agilis, the Agilis was taking longer to get up each day for the past couple of weeks and when he did appear he was covered in sand. So I'm thinking he may have dug his own hibernation site.
thanks for any help
Lee
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Post by clemmys on Sept 28, 2010 13:28:22 GMT
My male viridis has gone down, so has the Timon pater. The Laudakia stellio x brachydactyla are still active on sunny mornings, so are the muralis.
Graham
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Post by chrisd on Sept 30, 2010 19:10:11 GMT
One of my male Viridis disappeared a few weeks ago and hasn't been seen since. The Trillineata, Exigua's and the other Viridis went down but came out today. the weather has been terrible the last few months and they haven't fattened up properly. Maybe I'll dig them up and bring them inside for most of the winter reducing the risk of loosing some. I live near York, does any one live this far North or further ? If so how do they cope with the weather conditions ? Every year I struggle due to the poor summer weather and the lizards stop eating mid season, they never seem to fatten up for winter. I'm seriously thinking about bringing them back inside permanently rather than loosing anymore. Any suggestions ?
Chris
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Post by viridis on Sept 30, 2010 21:00:26 GMT
Chris ,can you put any more glass over your vivariums?Obviously you need to keep an area open to the elements so that the lizards can obtain ultraviolet. I know of someone who has electricity in their open enclosures and gives the lizards extra warmth when necessary. I find the best way to fatten up lizards is by feeding waxworms.I know of someone who feeds them fresh ant eggs and this has good results too.
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lee
New Member
Posts: 29
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Post by lee on Oct 1, 2010 16:38:47 GMT
Thanks for the advice
I'm unsure whether to wait to spring or see if I can find any and artificially hibernate them, probably I'll just wait and cover the ground the ground in a layer of bubble wrap to try and protect them from the worst of the elements. It certainly is nerve racking.
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Post by chrisd on Oct 1, 2010 18:04:41 GMT
Hi lee, I'm the same. It is such a lottery sometimes. For the last few winters I cover my cages with perspex and bubble wrap, secured to the sides with bungees. Don't forget the strength of the winter wind though ! I take the bubble wrap and perspex off every so often to let fresh air in. Hi Viridis, because of the nature of my cages I move the perspex covers depending on the weather. When it is bad then the covers stay on. On warm maybe windy days then I have part of the covers off and / or prop the covers up to keep them covered but open. It is a bit of a nightmare because every day can be different and even change throughout the day. It is hard keeping the temperature right while ensuring the lizards get as much sunlight as possible.
I've tried to feed the lizards everything, giant mealworms, waxworms and the very large beetle larvae which they loved early in the season and anything that I can catch in the garden. Nothing seemed to interest them.Food is always available in the cages. I have found that some will eat worms though, especially at the end of the season, but most stop when the weather changes. This year it was July.
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Post by viridis on Oct 27, 2010 13:08:22 GMT
This topsy turvy weather is confusing my lizards.During the last week we have had frost at night here in the South of England and cold days.All of a sudden it is milder and I would guess about 65f. Today I have seen my Podarcis and Timon out which is no great surprise but also one of my bilineata.I wish the weather would do one or another.
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Post by chrisd on Oct 27, 2010 13:58:16 GMT
Similar weather up here near York. We've had some nasty weather then it has turned quite nice between. Unfortunately most of my lizards have been out. They have gone down and stayed down. A trillineata has had its nose out but not for long. I'm having noisy building work done to the house walls for the next few days, above and just next to the cages. Typical ! Hopefully the animals won't be disturbed too much.
Chris
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Post by ameivaboy on Oct 27, 2010 16:26:47 GMT
I have a found a great way to fatten up lizards quickly is with wax worms and pinkies - though not very good as a regular diet- it certainly helps beef them up quicker than most other items.
The onyl lizards I have outdoors anymore is my podarcis sicula campestris. The weather here (San francisco area) has been off and on - lot of rain - then sunny and warm- then cold then rain etc. I saw the Podarcis out briefly yesterday - so I caught them and did a little winter revamping to their cage- adding thick styrofoam in places and adding several more inches of dirt into their enclosures.
My lepidus I have kept indoors for about a month to fatten them up big time as they are only a few months old - I will then be sticking them and my agilis into a mini fridge. The Podarcis will remain outdoors.
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Post by chrisd on Oct 27, 2010 17:26:25 GMT
Your weather sounds similar to what we have had. The problem that I had this year was that the lizards went off their food mid july. At the start of the year up to June the weather was pretty good with clear sunny days. The lizards fed well. But shortly after that the weather turned for the worst and they went off their food, they excepted the odd mealworm worm or waxworm. Caterpillars, locusts, moths, crickets were all ignored. I think that the weather just wasn't ideal enough for them. I think that you have the right idea. Protect them as much as possible by bringing them indoors in the winter etc. I'm going to review all the cages and add light/heat to some if possible. I have some Exiggua's that went down in August and they haven't been seen since. They were very thin the last time I saw them. I'm thinking of disturbing them and wakening them up and bringing them inside. Any suggestions, to the best way to wake them up to get them interested in feeding again ? Should I leave them for a little while longer to give them a short hibernation spell. At the moment they are well protected in a cold frame with polystyrene sides with plenty of sand etc in a polystyrene box hibernation chamber. I have added a thick layer of moss and then a thick layer of hay. They just lack in winter fat.
chris
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Post by viridis on Oct 27, 2010 18:41:39 GMT
As hard as it sounds Chris I would be tempted to leave them where they are.Unless they are very underweight they should survive.IF you bring them indoors this early you will upst their biorhythms and they will start breeding soon.They will then be out of sync when you put them out next spring. The other alternative is to catch them and bring them indoors permanently or to catch them and put them in the fridge.If you use the fridge method you can at least keep an eye on them and then you could warm them up in the early spring.
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Post by chrisd on Oct 27, 2010 19:38:36 GMT
hi viridis,
Unfortunately the last time that I saw them they were very underweight. I don't think that they will survive. I was thinking of bringing them in, feeding them up (if they will feed)then returning them to hibernation later.
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Post by viridis on Oct 28, 2010 7:48:00 GMT
Hi Chris, If the are really underweight bring them indoors and feed them up but I dont think that you will have the time to try to rehibernate them.Their body clocks should go into breeding mode if you increase the temperatures and then you may be hibernating them with eggs inside.My guess is that you would have to keep them indoors until next late spring then hopefully they will adjust back to the British climate for next autumn. This is really qiute risky and you may be better keepng them in vivariums with a winter cool down or hibernation in the fridge.If you manage to breed from them in the spring you could keep the babies outdoors from the start and then they would properly acclimatise to the English weather.
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