Insects are an essential part of your bearded dragon’s diet, but you must be careful about the types of food you offer. One common question is whether bearded dragons can eat earthworms. Since bearded dragons are omnivores, they can consume various foods, including earthworms. These worms are a good source of calcium, making them safe for your pet. However, they should be fed only once a week, as they offer limited nutritional value.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Earthworms?

Bearded dragons can eat earthworms, red worms, nightcrawlers, and other worms. They can eat most insects, regardless of toxicity, so it is generally safe if your bearded dragon accidentally consumes earthworms. However, it’s best to feed earthworms occasionally.

Avoid feeding your bearded dragon-baited or garden worms, as they may carry parasites. Store-bought earthworms are safe for your pet. Since earthworms are high in fat, it is essential to feed them in moderation, especially for dragons who do not exercise much, as overfeeding can lead to obesity.

How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Earthworms?

Include earthworms in your bearded dragon’s diet once a week. Avoid overfeeding them. Juvenile dragons typically eat around ten worms, while adults can consume about twenty.

4 Benefits of Earthworms for Bearded Dragons

Protein Boosts Growth and Maintenance

Bearded dragons should eat a diet similar to what they would consume in the wild, ensuring they get enough protein. You can include readily available foods like earthworms, which are protein-rich. These foods are essential for adult and juvenile bearded dragons to support their growth and health. Offering these foods to young dragons more frequently helps promote their active growth stage.

Vitamins and Minerals Aids in Tissue Repairing

Earthworms, in addition to proteins, provide vitamins and minerals such as iron, amino acids, manganese, and copper. These nutrients support the bearded dragon’s food breakdown, absorption, and tissue repair. They are also an excellent source of calcium, which is essential for skeletal development. Adequate calcium intake helps prevent bone diseases like Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD).

Good Source of Hydration

Bearded dragons need plenty of water for proper hydration. Since they don’t drink quickly from water dishes, you can provide moisture by feeding them food with high water content. Earthworms are a great choice because they contain a lot of water. A large earthworm can comprise up to 95% water, making it ideal for hydration.

Healthy Fats Helps in Adjusting Body Temperature

Earthworms are high in fat and can serve as energy sources for bearded dragons. Bearded dragons can regulate their body temperature and hormone production when they consume fats. However, they only require small amounts of fat. Too much fat from earthworms can lead to obesity and other weight-related issues for your pet.

3 Risks of Feeding Earthworms to Bearded Dragons

Chemical Contamination

Earthworms aren’t deadly to bearded dragons, but wild earthworms can carry infections. They often crawl through plants and soil treated with pesticides, fertilizers, insecticides, herbicides, and other harmful chemicals. Feeding these worms to your bearded dragon could lead to poisoning and death.

Wild Earthworms Harbor Parasites

Parasites can be present in outdoor earthworms, including small worms and organisms. By feeding these worms to your bearded dragon, you risk transferring these harmful parasites, which could potentially harm or kill your pet.

Low Nutritional Value

Depending on the species, earthworms comprise seventy to ninety percent water. This is much higher than the thicker-bodied insects your dragon is accustomed to eating, which can cause stomach issues.

How to Prepare Earthworms for Your Bearded Dragons?

Wash Thoroughly

After planting the earthworms, rinse them thoroughly with plenty of water. This step is crucial whether you buy them from pet stores or collect them from your breed. It helps remove any chemical contamination and mud from the earthworm’s skin.

Add a Calcium Supplement

Earthworms contain some calcium but in small amounts. You may need to supplement their diet to ensure your bearded dragon gets enough. Sprinkle calcium powder on the live food. A salt or sugar shaker works well to evenly coat the earthworms and enhance their nutritional value. Adequate calcium intake supports your bearded dragon’s bone health.

Feeding Earthworms to Juvenile Bearded Dragons

Before feeding earthworms to a juvenile dragon, consider cutting them into smaller pieces. This helps prevent choking and makes digestion easier. Young bearded dragons’ diet should focus mainly on vegetables and fruits. Insects should only make up about 30% of their diet.

Feeding Earthworms to Adult Bearded Dragons

You don’t need to cut up earthworms for an adult bearded dragon. When offering them as part of a meal, mix the earthworms with vegetables and fruits like cucumber and dandelion greens. This encourages your bearded dragon to chase after the worms. Keep in mind that earthworms shouldn’t be a staple food. Offer them as an occasional treat. Using earthworms occasionally can be a great way to add variety and flavor to their diet.

Where to Get Earthworms for Your Bearded Dragon?

Buy from Bait Shops

You can buy earthworms from bait stores, where they are harvested for fishing bait. These worms are free from pollutants like pesticides, which could harm fish. However, be cautious and make sure the worms are not dyed. Bait shops sometimes color earthworms to make them easier to see in water and catch. This dye can be harmful to your bearded dragon.

Purchase from Pet Stores

A great way to get worms for your bearded dragon is by purchasing them from a trusted pet store. Pet stores often breed earthworms as a food source for pets. You can find earthworms in various sizes, ranging from 1/4 to 1 inch. Keep in mind that younger bearded dragons should be fed smaller worms.

Breed Your Earthworms

Breeding and harvesting earthworms at home can be a great way to reduce your pet’s feeding costs. It’s a simple process that requires just a bin set up for breeding. You can feed your bearded dragon compost scraps like lettuce, potato peels, corn, moldy bread, fruit peels, and spaghetti. This not only saves money but also helps contribute to environmental sustainability.

Order Online

Several online shops specialize in vermiculture, breeding earthworms, and selling them to pet stores at wholesale prices. You can easily purchase earthworms from these dealers by placing an order online. However, checking their business documentation is essential to ensure the breeders and dealers are adequately registered before purchasing.

Conclusion

Bearded dragons can eat earthworms as an occasional protein source, but feeding them daily is not recommended. Doing so could lead to obesity, especially in adults. Always source worms from reliable suppliers or grow them to avoid parasites from wild-caught earthworms. While earthworms are accessible and affordable, they offer minimal nutritional benefits for your bearded dragon. Overfeeding them could cause health issues, such as weight-related problems. Additionally, many bearded dragons dislike the texture of earthworms due to their mucus coating. It’s best to offer nutritious and more appealing foods to your pet.

FAQs

Can baby bearded dragons eat earthworms?

Insects make up 60% of a baby bearded dragon’s diet. Earthworms are too large for them, so it’s best not to feed them until they are older.

Do bearded dragons like earthworms?