When a beardy dragon is out in the wild, it feeds almost exclusively on insects. Its mouth will open quickly when it finds something edible, like a prey item or piece of vegetation. The dragon uses its powerful jaw muscles and its tongue to pull the food item into its mouth. It will then break the item up into smaller pieces before swallowing it. Here are a few things you should never feed your beardie in the wild.
Contents
Do not feed wild-caught insects
Because bearded dragons do not normally eat wild-caught insects, it is important to prevent them from developing a taste for them. Once your beardie has developed a preference for a particular insect, it may refuse to eat any other insects, even the same ones it has previously enjoyed. This is dangerous because your beardie may starve to death if you do not provide it with food! To prevent this, make sure to gut-load any wild-caught insects you plan to feed your beardie.
If you want to introduce a new food to your beardie, do your research well. You can give him a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, such as apples and squash. However, you should never feed him with any wild-caught insects or birds, as they contain oxalates which will interfere with his ability to absorb calcium. Other foods that you should never feed your beardie should not be offered to your dragon, either. They may also contain poisonous compounds and harmful microorganisms that will cause him a lot of trouble.
Avoid eating lettuce
While many people consider lettuce a nutritious snack for their pets, you should avoid giving your bearded dragon this dish. In fact, you should never feed your dragon lettuce unless you are certain of its toxicity. Lettuce has very little nutritional value. Dragons evolved to survive in arid deserts, so they have developed the ability to leach water from their food. This is why they do not respond well to lettuce.
Some types of lettuce contain some nutritional value, but not enough to cause harm. In fact, some varieties of lettuce are good for your bearded dragon. However, you should avoid giving your beardie too much lettuce as it contains high amounts of oxalates, a substance that is harmful to your pet’s health. Also, be sure not to overfeed your beardie because overfeeding your pet may lead to metabolic bone disease.
Avoid feeding brussel sprouts
Brussel sprouts aren’t particularly high in calcium or phosphorus, but they do provide an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. These nutrients are important for beardie growth, and they are not a danger to your dragon, as long as you’re judicious with the amount you give your pet. Nevertheless, brussel sprouts can be an unhealthy food for your dragon, so you should only feed them a quarter of a sprout once a week.
The exoskeleton of wax worms is hard, which can make them difficult for bearded dragons to digest. Insects are another common food for bearded dragons, but be careful with their nutritional value. Wax worms are particularly high in fat and should only be given as a treat to your beardie. If you are unsure whether or not to feed your beardie with mealworms, get them from a reptile-specialized pet store. The length of the worm should be approximately the same as the distance between your beardie’s eyes.
Avoid feeding roaches
You should avoid feeding roaches to your bearded dragon if you can. Roaches are abundant in the wild and beardies quickly recognize them as potential food. However, roaches are not good for beardies’ digestive systems and can also contain pathogens. In addition, they can bite you if they’re handled. If you can’t keep your beardie from consuming roaches in the wild, you can buy specialized diets.
Cockroaches are not toxic to bears, so they’re a safe choice for your bearded dragon. Cockroaches are high in protein and contain vitamin and mineral content. They’re also low in fat and highly digestible. Cockroaches are good sources of flavor, too. It’s important to remember that the amount of roaches you give your bearded dragon must be proportional to its size and age.
Avoid feeding termites
A well-balanced diet consists of arthropods, grasses, greens, fruits, and flowers. You can also include insects, which your dragon loves to eat. However, you must be careful not to feed your beardie anything that has a toxicity level greater than two. For example, don’t feed it a caterpillar or butterfly! It’s highly toxic to beardies and the same can be said of other insects.
As a general rule, adult bearded dragon diets should consist of about 20% feeder insects and 80% vegetables. Younger beardies can be fed live insects daily and older ones can be fed live foods about once a week. Salads are usually dark leafy greens like spinach and kale. For insects, Dubia roaches and phoenix worms are excellent choices. Live insects allow beardies to follow their instinct to hunt and provide enrichment for them.
