Bearded Dragons Food

Listed below are the foods a Bearded Dragon can eat as well as food they should not eat, and the quantities to be offered.

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Baby/Juvenile Beardies

Baby Beardies 0 to 4 months should only be fed pinhead crickets with as many crickets as they can eat in a 10 minute spell given twice daily. Pinhead crickets may have to be ordered if your pet store does not stock them. At this stage of a Beardies life crickets should account for 100% of their diet.

Young Beardies are particulary voracious eaters and if kept with other baby Beardies they will nibble toes and tails if not fed sufficient amounts.

Once a Juvenile Beardie at 6 months 3/8" or 1/2" crickets can be offered and I recommend the introduction of vegetables and some fruit all finely sliced and/or grated. A young Beardie will often not eat greens but continue to offer them.

Crickets which are deficient in calcium should be dusted with a calcium and multivitamin supplement prior to feeding your Beardie this will help bone growth.

Too large a prey item will cause serious physical problems often resulting in paralysis, seizures, inability to self-feed, gut impaction and even death.

Crickets

Crickets should be used as a staple food until a Beardie is one year old. When a Beardie is one year old if not already done so fruit and vegetables should be introduced. Crickets should be well fed with vegetables and some fruit and given water, grapes are a good alternative to offering water. Crickets are a good food item as they contain a high percentage of water content and are relatively easy to digest.

Crickets which are deficient in calcium should be dusted with a calcium and multivitamin supplement prior to feeding your Beardie this will help bone growth.

Never offer crickets larger in size than the gap between a Beardies eyes.

Never leave crickets in your Beardies vivarium overnight, they will cause stress to your Beardie and will nibble on your Beardie as well.

Mealworms

Mealworms should only be offered to Bearded Dragon's one year old and above. They should be offered no more than a few times a week as they are not a recomended staple food like crickets. Mealworms help add some variety to a Beardies diet.

Mealworms which are deficient in calcium should be dusted with a calcium and multivitamin supplement prior to feeding your Beardie this will help bone growth.

Always offer white molten mealworms first these are easier to digest.

Giant mealworms are also available and should never be fed to Beardies under one year old.

Waxworms

Waxworms have quite a high fat content and no more than a few should be fed to a adult Beardie per week. While quite small again ensure that they are no bigger than the gap between your Beardies eyes.

Pinky Mice

These should only be fed to large adult Bearded Dragons as a rare treat. Gravid females should be fed pinky mice.

Fruit and Vegetables

Good to medium calcium providers are dandelion greens, parsley or chinese corriander, kale, cabbage, leek and okra. Celery, green beans, carrot, radishes, broccoli, asparagus, strawberries, apricot, blackberries, bananas and peaches can also be offered.

Spinach if offered should only be given rarely as this hinders the absorption of calcium in a Beardie's diet.

Do not feed iceburg lettuce to your Beardie.

Warning

Do not feed your Bearded Dragon fire flies as these can be fatal.