Bearded dragons require daily feeding as juveniles and every other day as adults. A varied diet of feeder insects such as crickets, mealworms, and dubia roaches, along with vegetables such as collard greens, mustard greens, and squash, can help provide the essential nutrients required for their growth and health.
What You'll Learn
Age-Specific Feeding Schedules
Juvenile bearded dragons need to be fed daily in order to maintain their gut health and proper growth. Feeding should consist of a variety of insects, such as crickets, roaches, mealworms, waxworms and silkworms. They can also eat salads consisting of leafy greens and vegetables like squash or bell peppers for added environmental enrichment. When feeding your juvenile dragon it’s important to keep track of how much they are eating to make sure that they are getting enough nutrients from their diet.
Adult beardies require less frequent feedings than juveniles; every other day is usually adequate. It’s still important to offer them a varied diet though. Insects like dubia roaches, horned worms, superworms and butterworms are all good options for older dragons. Vegetables and occasional fruits may be offered too but these should comprise only 10% of the adult’s overall diet as they do not contain enough calcium or fiber essential to maintaining healthy gut bacteria levels in an adult dragon.
In addition to providing a balanced insect-based diet with some additional veggies, offering food items that encourage natural behavior such as live prey (mealworm beetles) can help stimulate activity and provide mental stimulation for your pet dragon through environmental enrichment activities.
Variety In Diet For Bearded Dragons
Let’s talk about feeding habits and the variety of foods for bearded dragons.
We should consider how often they should be fed, and what kind of food is best for them.
Feeding Habits
When it comes to feeding bearded dragons, variety is key for their gut health and temperature control.
It’s important to feed them a mix of fresh vegetables and insects daily when they are young, then switch to every other day as adults.
Be sure that the food items you provide are safe for your dragon, such as crickets or mealworms, leafy greens like collard greens or turnip greens and occasional fruits.
Additionally, providing calcium supplements twice weekly can help prevent metabolic bone disease.
As long as you’re varying what you offer them from meal-to-meal, your bearded dragon will stay healthy and happy!
Variety Of Foods
Feeding your bearded dragon a variety of foods is essential for their gut health.
It’s important to keep in mind the meal timing, as well as how much food you give them at each meal.
When they’re young, feed them fresh vegetables and insects daily, then switch to every other day when they become adults.
Remember that whatever you offer should be safe for your dragon, such as crickets or mealworms, leafy greens like collard greens or turnip greens and occasional fruits.
Calcium supplements twice weekly can also help keep metabolic bone disease away.
With this combination of variety and nutrition, your beardie will have all it needs to stay healthy and happy!
How To Feed Your Bearded Dragon
It is widely believed that a varied diet of insects, greens and vegetables is all that’s needed to keep a bearded dragon healthy. While this may be true in some cases, enrichment activities and handling techniques are also important for maintaining their physical and mental wellbeing.
Enrichment activities can include providing climbing structures or decor items such as logs or rocks within the enclosure. Handling should be done gently but regularly so your bearded dragon becomes accustomed to human contact. With proper care and attention, these lizards will enjoy many years of health and happiness.
Supplementing the food you give your bearded dragon with vitamins and minerals is an essential part of their overall care routine. Not only do supplements provide them with the essential nutrients their body needs, they also promote good health by boosting immunity against illness and disease.
Different types of supplementation may be required depending on the age of your pet – most reptiles require calcium powder every day while other multivitamins may need to be given weekly or monthly. Understanding what type of supplements are suitable for your pet’s individual needs is key to keeping them happy and healthy into adulthood.
Supplements For Bearded Dragons
It is important to remember that bearded dragons need more than just food in order to stay healthy. Vitamin and mineral supplements should be added to their diets, especially for juveniles who are still growing.
Calcium intake is particularly important for them since it helps strengthen bones, as well as other bodily functions. Be sure to provide a supplement rich in calcium twice each week, or even daily if the dragon is not consuming enough from natural sources like vegetables and fruits.
Bearded dragons also benefit from vitamins A and D3 which can help support their vision, skin health, and immune system. These vitamins can come from fresh greens such as collard greens or kale but you may need to give additional supplementation depending on how much your beardie eats of these foods.
Additionally, multivitamins specifically formulated for reptiles can help ensure they get all the necessary minerals and vitamins needed for growth and development.
With any type of nutritional supplementation, it’s best practice to speak with a veterinarian before adding anything new into your pet’s diet. This will help you make sure that your dragon receives all the nutrients he needs without overdoing it — too much vitamin A or D3 can have adverse effects!
Having this knowledge at hand will allow you to monitor his nutrition levels closely so you can spot any signs of poor nutrition quickly. From there, you’ll be better equipped to adjust his diet accordingly.
Signs Of Poor Nutrition In Bearded Dragons
Have you ever wondered what signs to look for if your bearded dragon isn’t getting the nutrition it needs? There are several clues that can indicate poor diet and nutrition in bearded dragons. Let’s take a look at some of the most common ones:
Physical Signs
- Unusual or excessive shedding
- Slow growth rate
- Sluggish behavior
Behavioral Symptoms
- Refusing food or eating less than usual
- Loss of appetite
Dental Health & Temperature Needs
- Softening of bones, particularly jawbone due to calcium deficiency
- Inability to regulate body temperature correctly due to insufficient fat intake
If any of these symptoms are present in your pet beardie, then they may not be receiving adequate nutrition from their current diet. It is important to review your reptile’s diet and nutritional requirements with an exotic vet or experienced herpetoculturist.
With proper care and attention, you can help ensure that your pet has everything necessary for optimal health!
Conclusion
It’s important to remember that a bearded dragon is not just a pet, but also an individual with their own unique needs.
Feeding them can be both rewarding and challenging, as it requires attention to detail and awareness of the specific diet they require.
Ironic though it may seem, caring for these majestic creatures involves more than simply providing food; we must love them enough to give them the nutrition they need in order for them to thrive.
With patience and dedication, you’ll soon discover that feeding your little friend has its rewards!
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
