Collared Lizard Questions

This will be my first winter having Collared Lizards that were wild caught. I have an adult pair that have been doing very well for many months now and have become accustomed to their captivity and me lol. My main question involves hibernation. I have never had to do that before and I don't want to screw it up! It's getting colder here in AR and I can tell they seem to be gearing down for the season (I have their lights on a shortened day/night schedule and they have noticed).

Any information on the process and duration would be greatly appreciated! Also, should I do this in their enclosure or a different one? I found some help on a few websites but I'd like to get some specifics!

Thanks for all your help!!

Adam

Sounds like what you're describing was brumation. If their activity level was greatly reduced and started to eat a lot less, then that's my guess. Collareds in captivity shouldn't hibernate like they would in the cold-ass Colorado mountains, but it's normal for their hyperactivity to s low down a bit. If you aid them in the brumation process, they will come out of it with a newfound vigor for both food and sex, usually resulting in clutches of fertile eggs, and...the best thing ever...baby collareds! I know this is an old post, but how are they doing now? You should post some pics! Sounds like they'd be beautiful greenish blue easterns (at least the male)!

Collareds in captivity shouldn't hibernate like they would in the cold-ass Colorado mountains, but it's normal for their hyperactivity to s low down a bit.

I agree. My biggest year for babies was the year I did a partial brumation. I simply lowered the ambient temps but kept the same lighting on the basking area, but for a shorter duration during the winter. They slept a lot but did come out to bask now and then. They would take food now and then, but mostly slept. I have been talking to a friend about doing this with chuckwallas as well. He has been keeping and breeding them for years, and says this is much better for them than a full cool down, ie, ice chest, full darkness, etc.

I kept them in a tub with a topsoil substrate and enough room for them to burrow under a few rocks. I kept them around 55F for about 2.5 months. They came out of it perfectly and were in the process of some hard mating when my female got sick. She finally died after many weeks of me syringe feeding her. The male however is still acting like a stud for the most part haha.
Donna, I will try it your way this year because to tell you the truth it was quite a hassle making sure the temps were correct. I hope to produce a couple clutches next year with the new females!!

Hey Adam,
I am really sorry to hear about your female. I know you did all you could for her. I am glad to hear that your new female is working out. Just a warning, though. They could still give you babies this year, so make sure she has a nest box.

I hope she gives me babies!! I have a large nesting area made out of bricks with sand and a tile roof. She hasn't shown much interest in it yet though. It was a very sad day when I found her dead but it was time for her to stop suffering. How are your pretty chucks doing?!

Good! Some of my females are gravid. One already laid one clutch and is gravid again, which is somewhat rare. They usually only lay one clutch per season. Her first was mostly infertile, two fertile out of nine. I only have one fertile egg in the incubator because the goofy male picked up one of the fertile eggs, the first she laid, and carried it around the enclosure!

Didn't mean to post that yet. Anyway, I have no clue why he did that but he is a big, goofy cbb baby that I raised, and he is gorgeous! Here he is with his mate.
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The eggs that she is carrying now are probably fertile. Then I have two other locales that might give me babies this year.