Brumation

Brumation is a period of reduced activity, appetite, and metabolism that some reptile species go through during cooler months, similar in some ways to mammalian hibernation but not identical to it. In the wild it lets a species survive a season when food and warmth are scarce, and in captivity whether and how it happens depends on the species, the animal's health, and how the enclosure's temperature and light cycle are managed.

Signs that an animal may be entering brumation include eating less or refusing food, spending more time in a hide, and general lethargy, typically as ambient temperatures or day length drop in autumn. Not every species brumates in captivity, and not every keeper should attempt to induce it, since underweight or unwell animals can be put at serious risk by a deliberate brumation attempt.

The most important step before assuming an animal is brumating, or before deliberately trying to induce it for breeding purposes, is ruling out illness, since reduced appetite and lethargy are also signs of health problems that have nothing to do with the season. An exotics vet familiar with the species is the right resource for deciding whether brumation is appropriate for a given animal, rather than following general online guidance not specific to that species or that animal's condition.