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how and what to feed a bearded dragon

by Myrtis Turcotte Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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Bearded Dragon Feeding Chart By Age

Age of Bearded Dragon Quantity & Types of Food Number of Meals per Day
1-3 months As many crickets as they’ll eat in 5-10 ... 5
3-6 months 50% veggies, 50% insects 4
6-12 months 50% veggies, 50% insects 3
12-18 months 50% veggies, 50% insects 2
Jul 16 2022

Bearded Dragons can eat a wide range of live food such as crickets, mealworms and kingworms; vegetables such as sweet potato and pepper and leafy greens such as kale and parsley . They can also eat limited amounts of fruit.

Full Answer

What is the best diet for a bearded dragon?

Our live food list tells you what meat your Beardie can eat:

  • Crickets
  • Kingworms
  • Waxworms- these fatty worms should only be fed as a treat
  • Earthworms
  • Cockroaches
  • Locusts
  • Butterworms
  • Silkworms
  • Phoenix worms
  • Crickets

More items...

What fruits can bearded dragons 'actually' eat?

What Fruits Can Bearded Dragons Eat?

  1. Apples. As one of the more popular fruits, apples represent a good treat for beardies. ...
  2. Bananas. Everyone loves to eat a banana every now and then but can beardies eat bananas? ...
  3. Blackberries. As with bananas, blackberries are another fruit that can be an occasional treat. ...
  4. Blueberries. ...
  5. Cantaloupe. ...
  6. Cherries. ...
  7. Cranberries. ...
  8. Grapes. ...
  9. Fig fruits. ...
  10. Kiwi. ...

More items...

What insects should I Feed my bearded dragon?

What insects are the best for bearded dragons?

  • Hornworms. The first one on our list are hornworms (or goliath worms). ...
  • Phoenix Worms. This insect for bearded dragons is very popular among breeder and bearded dragon owner. ...
  • Crickets. The next one on our list is a really popular feeder among bearded dragon owners. ...
  • Superworms. ...

What vegetables are best for bearded dragons?

Good Vegetables and Greens For Bearded Dragons

  • Artichoke. It has great fiber content and is full of necessary vitamins and minerals. ...
  • Green Beans. It’s an excellent veggie for bearded lizards since it contains beta carotenes and Vitamin B.
  • Red, green, and yellow bell peppers are veggies that bearded dragons can eat raw. ...
  • Kale. ...
  • Parsnips and watercress. ...
  • Pumpkin without the seeds. ...

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What should a bearded dragon eat daily?

Young bearded dragons are omnivorous (approximately 50% insects and 50% plant matter). As they mature, they will eat more vegetables and transition to mostly herbivorous (approximately 90% plant matter). Insects - Feed gut-loaded insects (crickets or dubia roaches) 1x daily.

What is the best way to feed a bearded dragon?

To feed a bearded dragon, give it ⅛ cup of food 2-3 times a day that's a mixture of plants and insects. You can prepare the fruits and vegetables, such as carrots, celery, and apples, at home by cutting them into small pieces that are easy for your beardie to eat.

Do you have to feed your bearded dragon every day?

Bearded Dragons should be fed three times per day and given as many insects as they will consume in 10 to 15 mins. After the feeding time is done it is best to remove as many remaining insects as possible. A typical juvenile can eat 20 to 50 insects each day.

What is a bearded dragons favorite thing to eat?

There are numerous plants, fruits and vegetables that are safe and healthy for bearded dragons to eat, but some favorites include squash, collard greens, bell peppers, mustard greens and seedless watermelon. Of course, it's best to mix up your bearded dragon's diet every once in a while.

Do bearded dragons need crickets?

Bearded dragons need to eat live insects, and throughout their lifetime, they'll generally be consuming between 20 and 80 each week. That's a lot of insects, and crickets are by far the favorite. These insects are easy to find, affordably priced, and they offer plenty of nutrition and exercise for your dragon.

What can I feed my bearded dragon instead of crickets?

Bearded Dragons can eat a wide range of live food such as crickets, mealworms and kingworms; vegetables such as sweet potato and pepper and leafy greens such as kale and parsley . They can also eat limited amounts of fruit.

How often should I bathe my bearded dragon?

three times a weekAs a general rule, bath time three times a week should be sufficient to keep your dragon clean and hydrated. If your dragon absolutely hates baths, then once a week may be a reasonable goal. If your dragon can't get enough bath time, you may want to do it more frequently, maybe even once a day.

How many crickets should a bearded dragon eat?

How Many Crickets Should You Feed Your Bearded Dragon? Baby bearded dragons can be fed anywhere between 25-80 crickets per day, juvenile dragons will eat about 25-60 crickets per day, and adults can be fed about 10-20 crickets per day.

What should I put in my bearded dragons tank?

Before you bring your dragon home, you'll need to have the following supplies:Enclosure.UVB light.Heating element, thermometer, and hygrometer.Basking rock or log.Flooring.Some shallow dishes for water and food.Live feeder insects and tweezers.Adequate space in your home.

What do bearded dragons love the most?

11 Things You Didn't Know Your Bearded Dragon Would LoveA well-designed bathtub. Our beardie, Bacardi, does not really like bath time every time. ... Being wrapped up in a beardie burrito. ... Multiple hides. ... Exercise. ... A laser light. ... A treat. ... A walk in the sun. ... Something to climb.More items...•

What do bearded dragons like to play with?

Bearded dragons need enrichment just like any other animal, and letting them play with toys is a great way to provide it....Different Toys For Bearded DragonsHides. ... Cat Toys. ... Play Ball. ... Floaties. ... Crinkle Ball. ... Hammock. ... Tunnels. ... Mirror.More items...•

Can bearded dragons have broccoli everyday?

Bearded dragons can safely consume a little bit of broccoli once a month or so. In the appropriate amount, broccoli offers numerous health benefits to humans and bearded dragons alike: Vitamins A and C, which strengthen the immune system, vision, reproduction, and growth.

Where should I put my bearded dragons food bowl?

This can be done right inside their tank. We recommend a dedicated food bowl (like this one we bought on Amazon) for this. If your bearded dragon is anything like ours, they will walk through their salad no matter where you put this dish, but we recommend placing it out of their typical traffic pattern.

How often should I dust my bearded dragons food?

As adults, bearded dragons don't need calcium quite as often, given that they are no longer growing. However, you should still dust your dragon's food around 3 times a week with calcium powder. When it comes to their multi vitamin, mix it in with their calcium just one time a week to ensure optimal health.

How often should you feed bearded dragons crickets?

Adult bearded dragons should be fed as much as they can eat in 10-15 minute feeding sessions. This translates to about 10 crickets per day or 20 crickets every other day depending on your feeding scheme.

What kind of insects do bearded dragons eat?

Most likely, you’ll end up choosing one of the big three. Crickets, dubia roaches, or black soldier fly larvae are by far the most common choices of primarty feeder insects for bearded dragons. Between crickets and roaches, we strongly prefer roaches ( you can see why here in our comparison article ).

How often should a baby beardie eat live insects?

Baby beardies (up to about 6 months in age) should get live feeder insects one to three times per day, every day. This is when they are growing the fastest ( for a detailed review of just how big your beardie will get, see our article here ). Therefore, this is when they need the most protein.

What is the best food to eat for baby food?

Processed human food – Outside of pureed apple or pumpkin baby food, stay away from anything that comes in a can, box, or jar. Stick to fresh produce, fruits, and live feeder insects. Lettuce – This includes iceberg, loose-leaf, green, butter, and red. Lettuce, on the whole, is almost devoid of nutrients.

Is greens good for bearded dragons?

Some greens are better than others. They have a better nutritional profile. That makes them ideal daily feeders. Strive to make up your beardie’s daily diet from items from this list and your very healthy bearded dragon will thank you!

Do bearded dragons eat the same thing every day?

They start to treat them like little people instead of captive wild animals. While you or I would get bored eating the same thing every day, your bearded dragon does not. They are perfectly happy eating the same exact thing every single day. Bacardi never every gets tired of roaches….

Can a bearded dragon be vegan?

Another important point is that your beardie is an omnivore. It cannot be a vegetarian or vegan. Period, end of story. If you are not comfortable feeding your beardie live feeder insects then you should not have a bearded dragon. Beardie’s need a live protein source several times a week. And yes, it needs to be live.

Is lettuce good for beardie?

Lettuce, on the whole, is almost devoid of nutrients. If your beardie fills up on lettuce, they will not get the nutrients they need to be healthy. Choose more nutrient-dense and healthier greens. Mushrooms – Specifically portabella mushrooms, but all of them are a bad idea.

Why is my bearded dragon not eating?

What to Do if Your Bearded Dragon Isn’t Eating. There are many reasons that dragons could refuse to eat. Stress is a big one. If you’ve recently changed your dragon’s environment, lighting, or diet, then they could be refusing to eat as a reaction to this, which will take a short time to sort out.

How many crickets should a dragon eat?

During insect feedings, allow them 10 minutes to eat as many as they can. This could be as many as 50 crickets each day. Once a dragon reaches three months, it’s considered to be a juvenile. Juvenile dragons need a diet that’s about 50/50 plants and live insects.

What is gut loading in dragons?

Gut loading is when you stuff the insects full of nutritious food before feeding them to your dragon.

How much food do bearded dragons need?

These baby dragons need 75% of their nutrition to come from live insects and just 25% to come from plants. You can split their feeding into five meals.

Why won't my dragon eat?

Dragons might also refuse to eat when they’re shedding. You can tell they’re shedding when scales become dull-looking and the tip of the tail turns gray. Sick dragons may also refuse to eat. This could require a trip to the vet. Temperature can also have a major effect on a dragon’s appetite.

What to do if your dragon is eating everything?

If your dragon is eating every bit of the food you provide within the feeding window, then you might need to offer more food. On the other hand, if there’s always a lot of food leftover when the feeding window closes, then you should start reducing the amount of food you’re offering.

What is the best food for bearded dragons?

Dubia roaches are widely considered to be the absolute best live food for bearded dragons due to their incredibly high protein content. Furthermore, they’re very clean insects and tend to be much safer than crickets, which have been known to carry parasites. Phoenix worms are also a great choice.

How much should a bearded dragon eat?

Also, babies have different nutritional needs than adults. A baby bearded dragon’s diet should consist of about 40 to 60 percent proteins (from insect prey), and about 20 to 40 percent vegetation. Offer tiny insects three or four times per day and finely chopped vegetables at least three times per week.

What is the most important thing about bearded dragons?

This period during it’s life is when the bearded dragon is most fragile. It is very important during this stage that it receive ample nutrients and vitamins. The size and amount of food given during this period is very critical. Never offer baby bearded dragons prey foods that are larger than its head.

Can a bearded dragon eat more than a juvenile?

An adult will not generally eat as much as a juvenile proportionally. Again, this depends on the bearded dragon – some will eat more than others. It takes some trial and error to figure out what your bearded dragon likes, how much he wants, and how often. The results may vary greatly from one bearded dragon to the next.

Can you feed a baby bearded dragon mealworms?

Try to avoid feeding a baby bearded dragon mealworms. Mealworms have a tough outer shell that can be difficult for the baby to digest, and could lead to paralysis. Baby bearded dragons have a high metabolism, and need to be fed smaller, more frequent meals. Also, babies have different nutritional needs than adults.

Can bearded dragons eat mealworms?

It is recommend to only offer mealworms once or twice per week.

Can bearded dragons be fed?

By now the bearded dragon has gained mass and some fat reserves, and can be feed less frequently. If you feed a juvenile bearded dragon at the same rate as a baby it could become obese and suffer health issues later in life. The ratio of insects to vegetables will change as well.

How often should I feed my dragon insects?

Adult dragons do not need to eat as many insects as younger dragons, and overfeeding your dragon can cause him/her to become overweight. Adults only need to eat insects once per day, so when you feed them, give them as many insects as they can eat within a 10-15 minute time frame and then remove the remaining insects from their tank.

How often should I feed my bearded dragon?

You should always leave fresh vegetables in the cage, but three times per day you should feed your beardie insects. You should give them as many insects as they can eat within a 10-15 minute time period.

What do bearded dragons eat?

Bearded dragons are omnivores and can eat a variety of things. Normally your bearded dragon's diet will consist of vegetables, insects, and non-citrus fruit. When you give your beardie insects you will need to make sure that the insect isn't too big for your dragon to eat.

Why do bearded dragons need iron?

If you do have a baby bearded dragon and you are giving him/her Iron supplements, be sure to give it to them sporadically because too much Iron can cause bearded dragon health problems. See what health issues are most common in bearded dragons.

How to keep a bearded dragon healthy?

To keep your bearded dragon healthy you will need to make sure they stay on their diet. There are also some foods which are unhealthy for them or lethal for them to eat. Make sure they do not eat any of the below items: Lettuce. Since lettuce is mostly water it is not nutritious for bearded dragons.

How many crickets can a bearded dragon eat?

After the feeding time is done, you should take the remaining insects out of their tank. A typical juvenile bearded dragon can eat anywhere from 20 to 60 crickets (or other insects) each day.

How often should I take vitamin D3 for my baby dragon?

Juvenile Dragons - Need a Vitamin D3 and Calcium supplement with a meal 3-4 times per week. Adult Dragons - Need a Vitamin D3 and Calcium supplement with a meal once per week.

What is a mealworm?

Mealworms are comprised of a VERY hard chitlin exoskeleton which is difficult on a bearded dragon’s digestive track. Mealworms have been known to lead to such issues as impaction. On top of this, they also contain very little nutritional value.

How many crickets should a 3 month old eat?

For babies under 3 months, feed them as many crickets as they’ll eat in 5-10 minute increments 5 times a day. For babies 3 to 12 months old, reduce these feedings to just 4 times a day, then 3 times a day, and eventually 2 times a day by the time they’re 12 months of age.

How old do bearded dragons get?

An adult bearded dragon will be one that has reached full sexual maturity. This typically happens around 18 months of age. It is at this point that their diet should consist of only around 20% protein, with the rest being that of a fresh salad.

Why do bearded dragons have obesity?

Typically, obesity in adults occurs when the diet is overly rich in yummy things (Read: insects) and deficient in veggies.

What supplements should I take for a baby bearded dragon?

Crickets, along with dusted calcium AND multi-vitamin supplements are essentially the ONLY staples in any baby bearded dragon’s diet. A little bit of a hotly debated topic, you’ll get a different answer depending on who you talk to….

How many times should a baby be fed?

For babies under 3 months, a im to feed them 5 times a day. Babies 3-6 months should be fed 3-4 times a day, while those six months old should be fed 3 times a day, working their way down to 2 times a day as they approach a year of age. On a personal note, I remember many moons ago having my first bearded dragon how lost I was!

How many crickets should a baby eat a day?

While some owners believe babies should be allowed to eat as much as they want in 5-10 minute intervals 3-5 times a day, others believe in capping their total cricket intake at around 50 crickets a day, give or take 10-20.

What temperature should a bearded dragon be?

The ideal temperature of the water should be around 94-96 F°. While bearded dragons can swim, you should never fill the bath where your bearded dragon cannot easily keep his head out of the water. Ideally the water should be no higher than his/her elbows on their front legs (usually about 1-2 inches deep depending on the size of your dragon).

How to tell if a bearded dragon is sick?

Look for any puss or fluid around the bearded dragons mouth that could indicate a sick bearded dragon. You should also make sure that the bearded dragons eyes do not seem droopy and that their mouth and jaw are not swollen. Alertness. Healthy bearded dragons are very alert.

What does a bearded dragon tank cover do?

This tank cover will keep your bearded dragon from escaping and it will also keep other pets, insects, and objects from getting into the tank and harming your bearded dragon. Your cover will need to allow air to easily flow in and out of your bearded dragon's tank.

What do bearded dragons eat?

Bearded dragons are omnivores, which mean they will eat both insects and vegetables. Your bearded dragon's diet will depend on his/her age. Younger bearded dragons will eat 80% insects and 20% vegetables, while adult bearded dragons will eat 20% insects and 80% vegetables.

How many temperature and humidity gauges do bearded dragons need?

Temperature and humidity gauges are fairly inexpensive, so it's recommended to get two thermometers (one for the cool side and one for the hot side) and one humidity gauge . A popular gauge of bearded dragon owners is a combination thermometer humidity reader, which display both temperature and humidity.

Is a bearded dragon healthy?

Bearded dragons are very resilient and healthy animals, however there are still a few health issues that you should be familiar with. This section will cover common bearded dragon behavior and health issues so you can make sure your bearded dragon is healthy.

Can you give a bearded dragon too much vitamin A?

There is a lot of confusion over vitamin A with bearded dragon owners, because too much can cause vitamin A toxicity. Many bearded dragon owner fear that if they feed their beardies foods which are high in vitamin A (such as carrots) that their bearded dragon can receive toxic levels of A-Vitamins. Fortunately, this is not the case. In fact, most all cases of vitamin a toxicity in bearded dragons is caused when people give their bearded dragons multivitamins which contain synthetic vitamin A. Symptoms of too much vitamin A (Hypervitaminosis A) include swollen eyes, throat, and body as well as lack of energy.

How long does it take for a beardie to eat?

Don’t be alarmed if the hatchling Beardie doesn’t eat in the first 48 hours, it’s fairly normal. They’ll also not want to move too much so remember not to disturb them. When feeding them insects, ideally try hatchling locusts/ hoppers if you can get them, failing that use crickets.

How old should a baby bearded dragon be?

This guide is specifically for feeding baby Bearded Dragons up to 12 months old and what you should look for to avoid over feeding, under feeding, poor nutrition and exactly what to feed your Beardie.

How old do dragons need to be to be sexed?

Diet for 8 – 16 weeks Dragons. This will be the youngest that you should buy a dragon, it’s the earliest that they can be sexed and also held, at this age they are also more likely to adapt to a new owner and develop their individual personalities.

Can you get a bearded dragon from a pet shop?

Also at this age, you’ve probably got your Bearded Dragon from the pet shop, if that’s the case then it’s really important to keep a lookout for any health issues, moving them to a new home can be stressful. They may also have parasites and need worming for which you can get some tablets from the vets.

Can you keep insects in a bowl?

If you’re offering the insects in a bowl then you can keep them smaller as not much energy will be spent in hunting them, if they’re left to find them you may want to use the next size up given the energy expended to catch the prey – there’s not much difference in the size really.

Can you feed worms to dragons?

To be safe feed the worms in small quantities. You can buy these worms in a big bulk bag, which is handy if you’re breeding many dragons and works out really cheap. But remember there won’t be as much nutrition as the Locusts and mealworms should be fed in moderation.

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