What Do Bearded Dragons Eat?

Bearded dragons are some of the most popular pet lizards. If you have one, knowing what they eat is definitely an important thing. Diet is the foundation of pet care. It doesn’t matter what kind of pet you have, a proper diet has to be figured out and implemented. Continue reading for what do bearded dragons eat here.

Bearded dragons are omnivorous so they can eat many types of insects, vegetables, and fruits. These little reptiles have a diverse diet and this makes it easier and even fun to feed them. In this post, we look at what bearded dragons eat including a general guide on their diet needs.

What Should a Diet for Bearded Dragons Include?

Before we get into the specific foods eaten by bearded dragons, it may be a good idea to give you a few diet essentials. These are basically foods that should always be included in the reptile’s meals.

Here is a simple breakdown:

• Proteins – Proteins are extremely essential for bearded dragons. They will especially enjoy mealworms, crickets, Dubia roaches, and Waxworms as their main source of protein. The frequency of feeding proteins also varies depending on the reptile’s age. Younger lizards should be fed just once a day. Adults can eat proteins twice each day.
• Vegetables – Vegetables are also very healthy and nutritious for bearded dragons. According to nutritional experts, at least 25% of the diet served to a younger bearded dragon should be veggies. Adult lizards should eat at least 50% in veggies.
• Calcium – It is also very important to make sure that your pet reptile has enough supply of calcium. Although the animal can get it through normal foods, the amount delivered is not always enough. In that case, invest in pet supplements that deliver calcium at the required amount. As a rule of thumb, it is advisable to feed your bearded dragons with calcium supplements twice in a week.
• Water – Just like any other animal out there, bearded dragons will also need water. In some cases, the pet reptile may be hesitant to drink from the shallow dish of water that is normally placed on their habitat. This is not uncommon so don’t worry. To solve it, you can actually sprinkle clean water on the fruits and veggies you feed the pet. Although it may not be enough water, it will be better than nothing.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Meat?

What Do Bearded Dragons Eat? As we have already indicated above, bearded dragons are omnivorous so naturally, they will eat meat. But it’s not the same meat we eat as humans. The pet reptiles will consume meat in the form of insects. The great thing is that bearded dragons can eat a wide range of insects including Dubia roaches.

Here are some of the other insects to feed your pet:

• Earthworms
• Crickets
• Kingworms
• Waxworms
• Mealworms
• Cockroaches
• Locusts

Insects have a number of benefits for bearded dragons. First, most of the insects listed above are high in protein. They will easily deliver the required protein content for your bearded dragons even with a single feed in a day. In addition to this, the insects are also rich in healthy fats as well as important minerals such as iron and calcium. Overall, they will be a great healthy treat. But don’t overfeed your bearded dragons with insects. You need to mix things up a bit in order to achieve a healthy diet.

Fruits for Bearded Dragons Atbuz

Fruits for Bearded Dragons

Supplementing insects with fruits in your pet lizard’s diet is another important thing to note. Bearded dragons will eat a wide range of fruits. You just need to cut them into small pieces and let the pet enjoy.

Here are some of the most common fruits you can feed your pet:

• Figs
• Apples
• Melon
• Mango
• Dates
• Papaya
• Apricots
• Peaches
• Plums
• Kiwi

Fruits are rich in vitamins and other important minerals. They are also easily available. Even though you can buy insects like Dubia roaches online, you will agree that fruits are much more accessible for the ordinary person.

Vegetables for Bearded Dragons Atbuz

Vegetables

Not all vegetables will be good for your bearded dragons, in fact, you need to be very careful with this. For example, some veggies like spinach may contain high amounts of oxalate which prevents the absorption of calcium in the reptile’s body. This can have long-term negative effects on the lizard’s health. Don’t worry though.

Here is a list of some amazing veggies you can feed to your bearded dragons.

• Green beans
• Peas
• Butternut squash
• Courgette
• Sweet potato
• Bell pepper
• Ocra
• Broccoli (this should however be served in very small bits each week)

There are also a few other greens that you can use to supplement the veggies above. They are very healthy too and will be safe for your pet. Here they are:

• Kale
• Parsley
• Clover
• Dandelion greens
• Turnip greens
• Collards
• Endive
• Mustard greens
• Rocket
• Coriander

All these veggies need to be served in small quantities. Remember the aim is to give your bearded dragon a healthy diet. Because fruits and veggies are always readily available, it can be tempting to stuff them into your pet lizard’s diet. Do not fall into this temptation. Always supplement the veggies with insects like Dubia roaches and other animal-based proteins that you can find. Avoid feeding your pet the same fruit and veggies for long too. Diversity is crucial and this will make the pet interested all the time on what you have to offer.

Things to Avoid When Feeding Your Bearded Dragons

Although bearded dragons can eat a massive variety of foods, there are some options that will not be ideal for them.

Here is a simple list:

• Spinach and Beet Tops– They both contain chemicals that may lead to calcium deficiency and increase the risk of metabolic bone disease.
• Iceberg Lettuce – They contain a lot of water and offer very little nutritional value.
• Fireflies– Never feed Bearded Dragons any insects that glow including fireflies. They are toxic and can kill reptiles.
• Insects Captured in the Wild– Do not feed your bearded dragon wild insect since they may actually have parasites in them that can harm reptiles.
• Avocados – Some chemicals in avocados are also toxic for the pet lizard. Even A small amount will make the bearded dragon ill while a large portion can kill it.
• Rhubarb – They contain high levels of oxalic acid that can kill your pet.

Feeding your bearded dragon is easy due to the variety of foods these reptiles can eat. Insects including Dubia roaches with a mix of fruits and veggies should work.