Unless they are sick, under nine months old, or do not have enough body mass to brumate safely, you should not try to stop this process from happening. Repeatedly waking your lizard in an attempt to stop brumation can actually cause them to brumate for longer.
The 24-hour timeline is a guess at most. Realistically, your beardie should never get close to 24 hours without heat. A full day of 24 hours without heat is pushing it, and there's a good chance that lizards will experience complications far sooner.
Generally, it is OK to pick up your bearded dragon while he's in brumation. For example, some bearded dragon owners choose to help their pet through the brumation period by giving him a relaxing bath. While this is not necessary, it can help with producing a bowel movement.
It is usually best to just leave your Bearded dragon to do their own thing if they start to brumate. The main thing to do is ensure they have a constant supply of fresh water as normal and keep their enclosure clean, which is a little easier during this period since they produce less waste.
You should always allow your dragon to wake up naturally. Never try and wake them up by increasing the tank temperature. Once your dragon has started brumating, there is not very much you can do to stop it, nor should you make any attempt to disrupt the dragon during any stage of the brumation period.
In the wild, brumation is typically triggered by shorter days, lower temperatures, and barometric pressure and humidity changes, depending on the species and the native environment. Most keepers that choose to replicate brumation in captivity prefer to artificially create those changes as closely as possible.
Providing water to your Bearded Dragon while its brumating
The dragon will use it if needed. But again, as per the food, they have evolved to get through the brumation process by living off their body reserves. They are not like you or I where we need the constant body fuel via food and hydration.
It is important to make sure your beardie has had a bowel movement before entering a total brumation state, as this will ensure their digestive system is empty, eliminating the risk of trapped food. Once this has been achieved, turn off the bearded dragon's basking bulb and UV light.
Chances are that during brumation a bearded dragon will not want to eat. Even if it does not go into a deep sleep and appears for all intents normal, it may reduce or stop its eating for a while during winter months. Its metabolism drops and so it's need for food has also diminished.
During brumation, reptiles stop eating and their heart and respiratory rates slow significantly, as does their digestion. This "suspended animation"—long periods of inactivity—may actually lengthen the lives of these reptiles.
Most notably, brumation refers to dormancy undergone by ectothermic “cold-blooded” animals, while hibernation refers to dormancy undergone by endothermic “warm-blooded” animals. Basically, animals like reptiles and amphibians brumate, while mammals (and some birds) hibernate.
Increase Handling Time. One of the best ways to stop bearded dragon brumation, is to start handling your bearded dragon more. Bring them out of their tank, take them outside, and ultimately try to keep them active.
However, when it gets below 45 degrees, lizards get so cold that they lose the ability to move their limbs. Then, if the tree branch moves, they fall to the ground. While the fall may cause the lizard to die, they are usually not dead when they fall. And unless it gets below freezing, they aren't frozen either.
How cold is too cold for a Bearded dragon? During the day, the cool end temperature of a Bearded dragon enclosure should not drop below 22°C (71°F), but your basking area should always remain between 40-42°C (104-107°F) as mentioned above.
1 week after brumation has ended, schedule the lights and heat sources back to being on for 13 hours/day. Your beardie's appetite should go back to normal. If appetite does not go back to normal or your beardie doesn't seem to be waking up, take your dragon to an experienced reptile vet for examination!
From a high level, bearded dragon brumation will look a lot like major laziness or a lack of energy. Because they're starting to power down their systems and slow down their metabolism, there's not a need for as much activity or food as before. Here are the common signs to look for: Less movement.
As desert dwelling reptiles, bearded dragons can go weeks without food, sometimes a few months. This allows them to survive in their native habitat when food sources are scarce. In captivity, this usually occurs during brumation.
Dragons who are brumating, can be expected to go weeks if not months without eating, but should still be given water on a regular basis. Bearded dragons that are brumating can go months without eating, but should still be given water.
Preparing a Reptile for Brumation
Make sure your reptile is healthy, free of parasites (both internal and external), and encourage it to defecate (try soaking your pet in some water and massaging its belly). Also, make sure the humidity and temperature in the enclosure are correct.
As a result, reptilian dormancy, or brumation, is different from mammalian hibernation because the metabolic processes are different. Not unlike mammals, reptiles may begin their dormancy stage in the fall. However, they do not enter a state of “sleep” as the mammals do. They go into a state of suspended animation.
Brumation is a lethargic state that some ectothermic animals, such as many reptiles, assume during cold conditions. Reptiles generally begin brumation in late autumn. They often wake up to drink water and return to "sleep". They can go for months without food.
Brumation: Only cold-blooded animals Brumate. These are repfiles and amphibians, which don't have fur or feathers. They include frogs, lizards, snakes, and turtles. The animal's body slows down and it may not move, eat, drink, or poop for weeks or even months.