Possible hibernation trigger

[Dana C]

I just recieved my new young Red lad this morning early after he traveled two days to get her Express Mail. I am sure he got a bit chilled during the trip, especially in the truck from Boise to Buhl, Idaho where I live. I picked him up at the post office at 6:30 this am.
I have owned a B&W Arg in the past when I lived in California. During the period that I owned him,
he burrowed or buried himself in the substrate but in no way did it appear that he was trying to hibernate. With this little guy, (close to 18"), I warmed him under his new basking lamp and heat emitter for three hours and fed him. He ate 10+ large crickets with gusto. I went into town for a couple of hours and when I came back, he had buried himself. I found him, and put him under the lamp and he stayed there for an hour or so and buried himself again. Does anyone think that the trip may have triggered a hibernation response? If so, how can I stop it? The substrate being new, is damp and much cooler that the top naturally.
Your thoughts and advice would be much appreciated.

[bubblz]

It's new so it needs time to settle in also what are your specs? Temps, lighting, enclosure size and what are you using to measure temps? Since you have a basking light and heat emitter it may be too hot. In most cases a good MVB light is all you need.

[Dana C]

You may be right. About the middle of the enclosure, it was 85 and the basking end was 90. I have shut down the basking light for the night and the temp has dropped to 73f as measured by a digital which send the temp to my system in the bedroom. I bought some turkey and liver today, already have the calcium so I will try that on him tomorrow...Of course it is Sunday, maybe a scrambled egg is in order.

[bubblz]

Since you just got it,.. it's too soon to tell if it will hibernate or not but it is that time of year when they start to slow down.

[Dana C]

Since you just got it,.. it's too soon to tell if it will hibernate or not but it is that time of year when they start to slow down.

I think it was just me. I found him in the substrate this AM which burrowing is normal. The basking area is around 90f with the cool end 70 or so. I have a Uvb / uva bulb and a ceramic heat emmiter. I turn the UV bulb off at night but keep the cage around 70. He was fine when I found him and seemed to like the warmth of my holding him. Shortly after placing him back under the lamp and warming up, he ate his scrambled egg w/ calcium for breakfast, (what else?), and had a mid day snack of Tilapia fish raw w/calcium powder. He basked for an hour or two and is now buried again. I think the borrowing thing is a cool down thing as it is new substrate and slightly moist deep down and provides a cool zone.
For a new little guy, 18" he is very mellow and seems to enjoy contact with me.