Concerns surrounding our pets’ diets can be stressful for pet owners. As responsible pet parents, we want our animals to remain as healthy as possible. In recent years, keeping reptiles as pets has become popular, one such species being the bearded dragon.
Bearded dragons, commonly known as pet dragons, thrive in dry and warm regions worldwide and originate from Australia’s desert lands. While bearded dragons can be fed anything they desire at any given moment, being an omnivore doesn’t equate to free reign in terms of feeding habits; therefore, for their wellbeing, bearded dragons need a varied and balanced diet plan.
Pet owners must take responsibility for providing food that will sustain their bearded dragons’ wellbeing. This leads to questions like what bearded dragons eat and how we can best care for their diet. Read on as we answer some frequently asked questions regarding this subject!
What Do Bearded Dragons Eat
Bearded dragons are omnivores, meaning that they consume both plant- and animal-derived foods, giving them access to an assortment of fruit, vegetables, insects, and bugs for consumption – essential nutrients needed by bearded dragons for proper development and growth.
Bearded dragons are larger reptiles that require a nutritious and varied diet to stay in good condition. Too much or too little of any particular food source could pose risks to their well-being; thus, it must provide them with essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids they require for healthful living.
Bearded Dragon Diet and Food Chart
Diets of bearded dragons should contain everything needed to develop taste buds for different kinds of foods and to achieve maximum benefits. Feeding them the same food every day may become boring for them, so a diverse combination of foods should be given every day in order to ensure their body weight needs are fulfilled; bearded dragons require sufficient proteins, carbs, and fats from different foods in order to remain at an optimum weight; since no single food contains all needed elements.
Focusing on portion control for the bearded dragon diet will ensure success; key points include:
- What amount and types of foods are being fed to them each day?
- Which items require more nutrition?
- What is needed less often?
A well-balanced diet for an adult bearded dragon (18+ months) is 80% vegetables and 20% insects. Fruit should only be given as treats on an as-needed basis, and adult bearded dragons should only be fed once daily or according to their appetite. Remember not to force them to eat!
Juvenile bearded dragons’ (4-12 months) diet should consist of 70% insects and 30% vegetables. As they’re still developing and require plenty of nourishment, you should feed them three times each day.
Sub-adult (12-18 months) bearded dragons should have a 30% to 70% ratio of insects to veggies. Your pet must be fed twice per day.
For babies (0-4 months), their diet should be 80% insects and 20% vegetables. Baby bearded dragons Feed insects 4-5 times each day as the primary protein source to support muscle and bone development.
A bearded dragon food chart Should appear something similar:
| Leafy greens | collard green, watercress, alfalfa | 7 days a week |
| Insects | Example: crickets, dubai roaches | 6 days a week |
| Vegetables | Example: carrots, pumpkin, broccoli | 4 days a week |
| Vitamins, minerals, and calcium supplements | 3 days a weekNOTE: Confer with a Veterinary doctor beforehand. | |
| Fruits | Example: strawberry, grapes, kiwi | 1 day a week |
Bearded Dragon Food List
Below is a food list to feed to a bearded dragon that provides essential nutrition. This food list was put together based on what’s good for their bodies and can provide enough essential fatty acids.
What Fruits Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
Fruit provides essential vitamins and minerals your body requires while also being chock-full of antioxidants – not to mention being delicious treats for our furry companions on occasion!
Fruit provides essential nutrition; however, too much fruit sugar could become habit forming or cause long-term health complications in later years.
Fruits to feed a bearded dragon:
- Strawberries
- Mango
- Kiwi
- Watermelon
- Blueberry   Â
- Grapes
- Apple
- Papaya
- Guava
- Melon
- Mango
- Apricots
- Pears  Â
- Dates
- Figs    Â
What Vegetables Do Bearded Dragons Eat?
Veggies are very good for the body because they contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals. They keep your bearded dragon healthy and fit and provide enough calories for your lizard to say full for a duration of time.
Leafy greens contain plenty of calcium – essential nutrients for bearded dragons. A lack of this vital mineral could result in Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), an illness with profound implications if it progresses rapidly.
Green beans, bell peppers, potatoes, peas, carrots, pumpkin, and okra should be consumed in small portions 2-3 times each week due to their limited nutritional value and higher-than-usual levels of phosphorus content.
Feeding bearded dragons food high in phosphorus should be approached carefully, such as broccoli and tomatoes. When feeding these types of vegetables to bearded dragons
These foods should be given with caution as they contain plenty of phosphorus, which could bind with calcium and prevent its absorption into their systems, creating a deficiency.
Feed your reptile foods that provide a high calcium-to-low phosphorus ratio. It will benefit them and bring many advantages.
Make it part of their routine to incorporate foods that reflect different hues in their diet – or what’s known as the rainbow diet – which will ensure they receive all sorts of essential vitamins and nutrients by eating fruits and veggies of various shades. This way, bearded dragons will get enough variety in their nutrition from eating produce of all colors!
Vegetables to feed your bearded dragon:
- BroccoliÂ
- Cabbage
- Carrot
- Zucchini
- Sweet potato
- Pumpkin
- Cucumber   Â
- Green peas
Leafy veggies to feed your bearded dragon:
- Bok choy
- Collard greens
- Coriander
- Cactus leaves
- Mustard greens
- Endive
- Alfalfa
- Watercress
- Turnip leaves
What Bugs and Insects Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
Bearded dragons find insects the ideal food source. Hailing from the wild and as carnivorous reptiles, these bearded dragons rely heavily on insects as a source of meat and protein. Live food offerings provide even more incredible stimulation to their hunting instincts while simultaneously stimulating physical fitness, mental well-being, and general well-being for these remarkable reptiles.
Bearded dragons depend on crickets, Dubai roaches, and goliath worms as primary food sources.
Mealworms, waxworms, butterworms, silkworms, earthworms, and phoenix worms should be given once weekly. These insects contain high calories that could contribute to weight gain or heart problems in bearded dragons.
What Bearded Dragon Can’t Eat?
Foods a bearded dragon can’t eat are onions, chives, celery, iceberg lettuce, avocados, rhubarb, mushrooms, milk, dairy products, poultry, seafood, and red meat.
Bearded dragons may seem like they could eat almost anything, but no. Bearded dragons do have food restrictions of their own – not everything that looks appetizing will necessarily be good for our dragons’ well-being! Certain foods can even be toxic or cause stomach upsets, which lead to vomiting – we must, therefore, be wary when providing feed.
Do not feed them insects caught in the wild. Buy only from pet stores; their fish are guaranteed safe for consumption and made especially to suit this purpose.
Tips on Feeding Your Bearded Dragon
Set a Routine With Your Pet
Create a feeding schedule for your bearded dragon and do this regularly – this way, they’ll start anticipating meals at that exact moment, not overfeeding him! Plus, this way, you won’t overdo it on food too quickly.
Grow a Small Garden
Growing fruits and vegetables will be a rewarding experience. Produce will always be fresh, clean, and organic, and help reduce costs by cutting back on regular supply purchases for your bearded dragon. Plus, there will be no pesticides or chemicals which could endanger its health!
Keep Some Pet Food
Make sure to always have some dry food available, if possible, for your bearded dragon, such as pellets. Pet stores sell commercial food specifically geared to feeding bearded dragons that come in pellet form; you should find this food plentifully when an emergency strikes; they provide protein, vitamins, and minerals necessary for survival in emergencies, if nothing else. Pellets will do in an emergency but shouldn’t become your go-to solution, as fresher foods should always be chosen when possible!
Use Supplements to Give an Extra Boost
Your bearded dragon should receive ample amounts of calcium and other necessary vitamins. Consult a veterinarian first before undertaking this step and follow their advice – following any specific prescription from them may also ensure optimal care and health outcomes for their needs.
Conclusion
Bearded dragons enjoy eating fruits, vegetables, and insects to maintain good health – these should all form part of a balanced diet to maintain health or risk becoming sick and malnourished, leading to weight loss or illness. When asked, “What do Bearded Dragons Eat,” the answer should include fruits, veggies, and insects as they provide essential nutrition to their species.
Bearded dragons should avoid eating certain foods; otherwise, they risk falling ill quickly and being sickened in no time at all. It would be best to stick to what your beardie likes eating best and choose foods that support his lifestyle.
As bearded dragons grow, their diet will change accordingly, needing more or less of various types of foods as time progresses. You must stay aware of this to ensure their food intake does not decline – once these basic steps have been accomplished, you will become an experienced bearded dragon owner!