Bearded dragons are omnivorous lizards that need a variety of plant and animal-based foods to stay healthy.
Crickets, cockroaches, mealworms, small mice, grasshoppers, and various types of worms are some of the most common animals that can be fed to a bearded dragon.
When feeding animals to a bearded dragon, make sure they are gut-loaded and calcium dusted for maximum nutritional value.
Additionally, certain animals should never be fed to a bearded dragon because they can cause health problems or even death if consumed. A few examples include animals captured in the wild, spiders, fireflies, and centipedes.
A varied diet that includes both plant-based and animal-based foods is essential for providing your bearded dragon with the nutrients it requires to stay healthy.
What You'll Learn
Most Common Animals to Feed a Bearded Dragon
Crickets
Crickets are a popular source of food for bearded dragons. They are available in pet stores or online and come in a variety of sizes to meet the needs of your bearded dragon.
Crickets are an excellent source of protein and constitute a significant portion of the bearded dragon’s diet.
It is critical to gut load and dust crickets with calcium supplements before feeding them to your dragon to ensure they receive the nutrients they require for proper growth and development.
Cockroaches
Bearded dragons can also consume cockroaches, such as the Dubia roach, which is a popular food source for them. Dubia roaches are a good source of nutrients and are small enough to be handled by a bearded dragon.
For younger dragons, it’s best to stick to smaller cockroach sizes, giving them no more than 1/4 inch of the roach’s size. To ensure your dragon gets a balanced diet, avoid overfeeding with cockroaches and mix them in with other insects and vegetables.
Mealworms
Mealworms are high in protein and calcium, making them an excellent food choice for bearded dragons. These worms can be fed both live and dried, but live bait is preferable. The moving bait stimulates your bearded dragon’s body and mind.
Small Mice
Small pinky mice are an acceptable source of protein for an adult bearded dragon. This type of prey item can be beneficial to their diet; however, overfeeding them can lead to health complications.
Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers contain a variety of nutrients that can benefit your reptile, including vitamin C and fatty acids. Although lubber grasshoppers resemble grasshoppers and are occasionally fed to bearded dragons, it is best to avoid feeding them because they can contain toxins that are harmful to your pet.
Various Types of Worms
Worms that bearded dragons can eat include butterworms, waxworms, superworms, silkworms, and hornworms. This is an excellent way to ensure that your dragon receives a well-balanced diet.
Some worm species also provide vitamins and minerals that bearded dragons require to stay healthy.
Importance of Gut Loading and Calcium Dusting
Gut loading and calcium dusting are critical techniques for ensuring a nutritionally balanced diet in beardies. Gut loading entails raising insects and providing them with a nutritious diet that includes fruits, fish flakes, vegetables, grains, or chicken starter feed, as well as a calcium supplement.
This is intended to mimic the variety of plants that wild insects eat, as it provides them with vitamins and minerals that they would not have in captivity.
The process of coating the feeder insect in a calcium/multivitamin powder before feeding it directly to the bearded dragon is known as dusting. This helps to ensure that they get enough nutrients.
Animals To Never Feed Bearded Dragons
Wild-caught insects should never be fed to bearded dragons because they may contain parasites that are harmful to your pet. Spiders, fireflies, and centipedes should never be fed to bearded dragons.
Wild Caught
Wild-caught insects should never be fed to your bearded dragon because they may contain parasites and other harmful bacteria that can make your pet sick.
Make certain that the insects you feed are captive-bred. If you buy live insects, make sure you check the source and that the breeding conditions are safe for your bearded dragon’s health.
Spiders
Spiders can be a tempting treat to give your beardie, but keep in mind that they can be dangerous. Wild-caught spiders may contain parasites or other harmful organisms, and some domesticated spiders may also be dangerous to your dragon.
Fireflies
One of the many insects that should never be fed to a bearded dragon is fireflies. Unfortunately, there have been numerous reports of reptiles dying after eating fireflies and other luminescent insects.
Centipedes
While bearded dragons can eat some centipedes, many species are toxic to them. It is not recommended to feed them wild insects in the first place, so it is best to avoid feeding centipedes to your bearded dragon. The danger is simply too great, and there is no way of knowing whether or not the centipede is safe. Instead, concentrate on offering them a variety of other insect options that are safe for them to consume.
Why Animals Are an Important Part of a Bearded Dragons Diet
Animals are an important part of a bearded dragon’s diet because they provide the proteins and nutrients that they require to stay healthy. Bearded dragons eat a wide variety of small insects in the wild, including crickets, cockroaches, mealworms, small mice, grasshoppers, and various types of worms.
It is critical to gut-load and calcium dust these insects before feeding to ensure that your dragon receives all of the necessary nutrients.
Risks of Overfeeding Animals
While animals can be an important part of the bearded dragon diet, it is important to keep track of how much they consume. Overeating can cause health problems such as gut impaction and obesity.
Baby bearded dragons must eat only what is appropriate for their size because larger animals can cause internal impaction. When feeding adult bearded dragons, keep an eye on the size of the insects and ensure they are no larger than the space between their eyes.
It is also critical to monitor the fat content of the insects and avoid overfeeding worms, which are typically higher in fat.
Key Points
- Bearded dragons are omnivorous lizards that must eat a variety of plant and animal-based foods to stay healthy.
- Crickets, cockroaches, mealworms, small mice, grasshoppers, and various types of worms are some of the most common animals that can be fed to a bearded dragon.
- To ensure maximum nutritional value, feeder insects should be gut-loaded and calcium dusted.
- Animals caught in the wild, spiders, fireflies, and centipedes should never be fed to a bearded dragon because they can cause health problems or even death.
- A varied diet of both plant- and animal-based foods is required to provide your bearded dragon with the nutrients it requires for proper growth and development.
Hi! My name is Bryan, I am the “one behind the words” here are BeardieAnswers.com. I believe that providing quality care and nutrition is the best way to ensure the health of your pet. Every beardie is special and deserves the best care and attention. If you have questions about your bearded dragon, please don’t hesitate to ask! View My Full Author Page
