If you are interested in getting a bearded dragon, one of your first questions will be, “What do bearded dragons eat?” A Plant-based diet is a great choice. The following article covers some of the foods that beardies can eat and avoid.
Contents
Plant-based diet
If you want to feed your bearded dragon a plant-based diet, it is important to know about different types of vegetables and fruits. Luckily, bearded dragons can eat many of these types of foods. To learn more, check out this breakdown from the Department of Environment and Science.
Vegetables should be fresh and unprocessed. Try to avoid fruits and vegetables that contain high amounts of sugar. Fruits can be a treat for your beardie, but be sure to cut them up finely. They are high in calories and sugar, and they can get stuck in its mouth for longer periods of time, leading to periodontal disease.
Bearded dragons like to eat insects, but not all insects are beneficial for them. You have to choose the ones that are safe for your pet. Fortunately, there are many insects suitable for beardies. Butterworms and crickets are two popular options, and bearded dragons can also enjoy redworms and superworms.
Fruits
There are dozens of fruits and vegetables that bearded dragons enjoy, but there are certain fruits and vegetables that should not be fed to your dragon too often. Some of the best fruits and vegetables for bearded dragons include mango, elderberries, figs, grapes, passionfruit, pineapple, and raisins. Insects are also a good source of nutrition for beardie dragons. These are best fed about three times per week.
Fruits for your Beardie dragons should not contain a high amount of sugar or acidity. A small amount of fruit is fine, but you should avoid any fruit with a high sugar or acid content. You can find a list of the most popular fruits and vegetables for beardies, as well as other information.
Live food for bearded dragons includes crickets and meal worms. These are inexpensive and easy to store. They also give your beardie dragon plenty of stimulation. It is recommended to vary the types of insects you buy to give your beardie a variety of tastes and textures.
Bugs
Bearded dragons have a high nutritional need and should eat a variety of vegetables and bugs as part of their diet. They also need plenty of calcium and vitamin D3. During their growth stage, they prefer eating insects over vegetables, and should be fed insects three to four times a week. You can also feed your beardie a few waxworms twice a week. However, make sure to keep in mind the age of your beardie dragon when choosing an insect diet.
Insects from the outdoors are suitable for bearded dragons, but it is important to ensure that the insects are chemical-free. Certain chemicals and pesticides found on crops can cling to insects and can harm your beardie. To avoid any toxic effects, only give your beardie a few insects that are in season. During the summer, you can feed him with crickets, beetles, and cicada larvae. However, if you don’t have access to these insects, you should buy freeze-dried grasshoppers, which are the natural prey of larger reptiles and birds. These insects contain high levels of protein and essential amino acids.
However, you should also consider that bugs may contain pesticides and parasites that could harm your beardie. For that reason, it’s best to leave live bugs in your beardie’s cage for at least 15 minutes before you decide to remove them. Otherwise, they may burrow into the tank and start eating it. Moreover, you should not allow your beardie to feed on insects that fall on the floor.
Grass
If you’re thinking of keeping a bearded dragon, you may be wondering if grass is suitable for your dragon. Grass is actually not the best food for bearded dragons, and they need plenty of nutritious foods for optimal health. As such, you’ll want to limit their access to grass. Also, you’ll want to make sure that the grass you choose for them hasn’t been treated with any chemical agents, which could have harmful effects on their health.
A safe grass that bearded dragons can eat is fescue. This type of grass is low in toxic substances. Moreover, it is an excellent source of vitamins, calcium, and iron, so your beardie dragon can reap the benefits of these plants.
It is important to remember that grass grown in the wild is much different from grass that is grown in our yards. The latter is much more nutritious and has a higher content of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, it is best to avoid using lawn clippings as the main source of grass for beardie dragons.
