Brumation in Captivity?

[JLC]

Hi. Someone said that brumation should be induced for reptiles in the winter. Is that true, or can they just continue on with their normal lives?

The question is far too broad to answer. Not all reptiles brumate, and if you try to induce brumation in a species that doesn't naturally go through that cycle, you aren't doing them any favors, even if they can survive the process.

Of those species that do naturally sleep through the winter months, it still varies widely about whether or not they NEED to do so in order to stay healthy. Some can live in captivity without ever going through a "winter" and be perfectly fine. Some need that natural cycle of temperatures and light to trigger breeding behavior. Some need it for overall, long-term health benefits and would not thrive, even in an otherwise perfect captive environment, without it.

These kinds of questions need to be far more specific to get any useful answers.