As a bearded dragon owner, knowing its diet and nutrition is essential. Since bearded dragons are omnivorous, they eat insects, fruits, and vegetables. They need a balanced diet to live a healthy life and increase their life span.
Bearded dragons’ favorite food is insects, whether young or adult ones. Their most favorite insect that they all like is the Dubia roaches. Bearded dragons may also like some vegetables and fruits like dandelions and strawberries.
It’s essential to monitor your bearded dragon to know which food is its favorite to avoid eating some foods less. This blog will look at what a bearded dragon’s favorite food is.
What Are Some of the Favorite Insects a Bearded Dragon Can Eat?
You should ensure that you feed your bearded dragon smaller portions to avoid intestinal blockages and seizures.
Dubia Roaches
Dubia roaches are the favorite food of beardies. They are low in fat and have high protein nutrients, and they provide at least five times more nutrition than other live insects. They are quiet, don’t fly away, or stink or bite, making them easier to handle.
Mealworms
They are a favorite for adult bearded dragons; you should never feed them to young bearded dragons. They grow to two inches and contain an outer shell called chitin, and Chitin causes impaction in the young bearded dragons.
You can feed adult bearded dragons five to six mealworms a day.
Crickets
Crickets contain protein and calcium, and they are the most liked food by your bearded dragons. You can find crickets in pet stores and bait shops.
Crickets are sometimes difficult to digest because of their hard parts, like their hind legs. Additionally, they are difficult to keep since they are smelly and make noise at night.
Butterworms
Butterworms are tiny worms that offer protein and high levels of calcium. They are excellent feeder insects, thus providing supplements to your bearded dragon. You can get them in pet stores or online vendors.
Earthworms
They are a good source of calcium and moisture. Before feeding earthworms to your bearded dragon, ensure that they are clean since they have a slimy surface that can have debris.
You can purchase earthworms in pet stores, bait stores, or online stores. If you buy them in bait stores, ensure that they are not dyed.
Phoenix worms
They are also known as black soldier fly larvae. Like the others listed above, they contain high levels of protein and calcium. They are an excellent supplemental insect, and they are easy to keep.
Due to their size, it’s best to offer them as a snack since feeding them to your bearded dragon in large quantities can be expensive and hard to maintain.
Silkworms
Silkworms are high in protein, moisture, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium; they are small and have a soft body. Due to their high-fat content, you should feed them as a snack to your bearded dragon. You can get them in pet stores and online retailers.
Waxworms
It would be best if you fed them to your bearded dragon as a snack due to their high-fat content. Too many wax worms can lead to obesity, so it’s best to feed them five to six waxworms daily.
They are easy to maintain and can last up to a few weeks if you store them well. You can get your waxworms in pet stores or online stores.
Goliath Worms
They are also known as horned worms and are a suitable staple insect feeder for your bearded dragon. They are a good protein source, and since they grow fast, you can feed them to your bearded dragon after a couple of days of growth. You can buy them in pet stores and online stores.
Insects to Avoid
Fireflies
Fireflies contain lucibufagins that are toxic to your bearded dragon’s heart. After eating fireflies, your bearded dragon will develop breathing problems, regurgitation, and at times shaking its head. Its skin color changes to black or tan. Death due to heart failure may occur.
Venomous insects
These include:
- Bees
- Wasps
- Scorpions
- Centipedes
- Spiders
- hornets
They could bite or sting your bearded dragon. If it ingests them, their venoms may be poisonous, causing your bearded dragon to become sick and die.
Ladybugs
Like the boxelder bugs and fireflies, the ladybugs are poisonous to your bearded dragon.
Caterpillars and Butterflies
They may seem harmless, but they are deadly to your bearded dragon. They eat all types of plants, and many of these plants are toxic to your bearded dragon. When your pet is eating the caterpillar or butterfly, they will be ingesting those toxins.
Wild-caught Insects
Most wild insects have parasites that can be transmitted to your bearded dragon when they eat them. At times, you may think catching your bugs is cheaper; however, some bugs are harmful to your bearded dragon.
If you need live insects, it’s best to get them from a pet store since they are constantly screened for any harmful parasites.
Dead Insects
Dead insects’ moisture content falls rapidly, and hence, dead insects have a low nutritional value. Since they may have been sick or had a parasite, they are a magnet for bacteria and can harm your pet once it ingests them.
Vegetables and Fruits That Bearded Dragons Like
Vegetables are essential in a bearded dragon’s meal since they contain minerals and vitamins. Every bearded dragon has different tastes, and it’s easy for you to figure out what yours likes the most. Below is a list of some vegetables that your bearded dragon will love.
Dandelions
Dandelions are a favorite for bearded dragons, and they may choose them over crickets or any other insects. Most people think that dandelions are weeds and shouldn’t be eaten; however, you can eat them. Dandelions are rich in:
- Folate
- Iron
- Antioxidants
- Magnesium
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K.
You can find dandelion leaves in some grocery stores, and they are quite bigger than the ones you can find on your lawns. Since you don’t want your bearded dragon to ingest any chemicals, it’s good to ensure any dandelion you pluck from your yard is free from pesticides and herbicides.
Strawberries
They are a favorite fruit for bearded dragons. They have great nutrients, and you should wash them and cut them into smaller pieces before feeding them to your pet.
Squash
There are a variety of squashes that you will find depending on where you live, including yellow squash, zucchini, and buttercup. Most bearded dragons love color, and the yellow squash is what they might choose.
The yellow squash has a variety of nutrients like vitamin c, potassium, and magnesium. It’s important to remember you should remove the rind before feeding your bearded dragon a squash. Chop the squash into smaller pieces so that your bearded dragon will enjoy it.
Papaya
Your bearded dragon will enjoy papaya because it will be first attracted to its color and has an excellent fiber source. You should peel the papaya and ensure you have removed the seeds, and chop it into small pieces. Your bearded dragon will significantly enjoy the exotic fruit.
Collard Greens
They have a good ratio of calcium to phosphorus that helps your bearded dragon to have a healthy and robust body. They are also rich in fiber, folate, and vitamins A, C, E, and K. They are low on sugars and calories, and your bearded dragon will love them.
Turnips
They are a great vegetable since they are soft and tasty, and your bearded dragon will enjoy them. You can feed your bearded dragon the leaves and the roots; nonetheless, ensure that the root bulbs are chopped into small pieces and well.
They are an excellent source of fiber, calcium, and vitamin A, C, and E for your pet’s health.
Alfalfa Sprouts
It’s one of the great greens you can feed your pet and has a nutritious value to your pet. They are a great way to give your pet some more vitamins and fiber. They also help boost the immune system, making it easier to fight off illness and improve its eyesight.
The sprouts contain more phosphorus, and it’s best to feed them this part as a treat, and for the rest of the plant’s features, you can feed them regularly. You can find the whitish-green sprouts in the supermarkets and salad bars.
Figs
Your bearded dragon can enjoy a raw fig, and it will benefit from the fiber and calcium it provides. Since fig is dried when feeding it to your pet, ensure it is in smaller pieces.
Mustard Greens
They are a good source of nutrients and contain high calcium levels. They have a low level of phosphorus that helps prevent any metabolic bone disease. Metabolic bone disease softens the bearded dragon’s bones with less calcium or too much phosphorus in their food.
They also contain some vitamins and fiber that keep your bearded dragon healthy.
Green Beans
Green beans are an excellent source of beta carotene and vitamin B. Before feeding them to your pet, ensure that you chop them well.
Vegetables and Fruits You Should Avoid
Avocados
Avocados contain a high oxalic acid and can be fatal to your pet if taken in large amounts. On the other hand, small portions can make your pet sick.
If your bearded dragon consumes one, immediately detoxify them with charcoal powder and consult a vet.
Lettuce
It’s a vegetable that you should avoid feeding your bearded dragon unless it’s the only available food you have.
Lettuce doesn’t have any nutritional value, and they cause digestive conditions like diarrhea.
Rhubarbs
Rhubarbs have a high content of oxalic acids that can kill your bearded dragon. If you feed your pet by accident, give them water immediately and call a veterinarian.
Spinach
Spinach has a calcium-binding chemical that can easily lead to metabolic bone disease. If you decide to give spinach to your pet, share it moderately in small amounts.
Acidic Fruits
To bearded dragons, you shouldn’t give acidic fruits like limes, oranges, lemons, tangerines, and pineapples. They have a high acidity that can destroy the balance of acid levels in your bearded dragon’s stomach and its digestive tract.
Beet Tops
Beet tops contain magnesium and vitamin A making them very nutritious. However, they have a chemical that hinders calcium absorption in bearded dragons. Beet tops can also cause metabolic bone disease. They can be given to bearded dragons in moderation, and it’s best to offer them to your pet once a month.
Some Mushrooms
Some types of mushrooms can be toxic and poisonous to your pet. It’s best not to feed your bearded dragon any mushroom if you don’t have much knowledge of the plants. If your pet consumes a poisonous mushroom, you should call a vet.
FAQ’s about Bearded Dragon
Conclusion
Every bearded dragon has its tastes, and as a bearded dragon owner, it’s always important to know what your pet loves most. It’s crucial to ensure that your bearded dragon doesn’t come into contact with wild insects that it may want to eat. We can all say that all bearded dragons love insects more than vegetables.
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