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Photograph by Nat

Care Guide - Selecting


Bearded Dragons are omnivores. This means that they eat both meat and vegetation.

Meat

The meat for the bearded dragon is live insects. Bearded dragons can be given a varied diet that consists of the following:

Crickets - Black or brown, good as a staple of the diet.
Locusts - Can be fed regularly. Tend to be a favourite.
Mealworms - Can be fed regularly.
Waxworms - Can be fed as a treat. No more than 5 a week.

Baby mice, called pinkies, can also be fed to adults. These are high in fat and are good for pregnant females, or underweight adults. For a normal bearded dragon, on a month is adequate as a treat.

A good size guide is that you should not feed insects that are significantly larger than the space between your dragons eyes.

Vegetation

A varied diet of fruit and vegetables can be provided for your bearded dragon. Hatchlings tend to eat less vegetables than adults, and do not worry if your baby is not that keen on some things. Like humans, they may prefer some tastes to others. Offer everything listed below and you will soon learn which is a firm favourite.

The following items are edible for bearded dragons:

  • Collard greens
  • Turnip greens
  • Mustard greens
  • Escarole
  • Chicory
  • Squash
  • Green Beans
  • Carrots
  • Parsnips
  • Sweet Potato
  • Dandelion
  • Sweetcorn
  • Peas
  • Apple
  • Blueberries
  • Raspberries
  • Peaches
  • Pears
  • Plums                                      

Quantity & Frequency

Young bearded dragons should be fed at least twice a day, those under six weeks should be fed three times a day. Those still growing should be fed as much as they will eat within 10-15 minutes. It is better to add slowly and allow them to eat as much as possible than just throwing a whole box of food in and leaving them. Fresh vegetation should be offered daily, and the previous days uneaten vegetables should be removed.

As their growth slows so does their energy expenditure and you can slow their rate down.

If you offer vegetables first, this will ensure that more are eaten - it's like offering children the dessert before the main course, a bearded dragon will usually choose a live insect over their salad.

Supplementation

Gut loading - this is when you fill the stomach of the feeder food with nutrients. Remember that whatever your insect eats, will be passed on to the bearded dragon when it in turn is eaten. A gut loaded insect is one that is more nutritious. You can buy cricket diets from retail stores, but you can also feed them any fruit or vegetable that is safe for your bearded dragon to eat.

Calcium & Vitamins - A Calcium supplement should be used every other day, and a multi vitamin supplement once a week. These are sold by reptile stores. You sprinkle a small amount of the powder on to the livefood or greens. This is very important as health problems can develop, including MBD without it.

Water

Most bearded dragons do not drink very often from a water bowl, however a small one can be provided. Keep it on the cool side of the tank so the humidity is not raised. Hatchlings can be sprayed with a water bottle to encourage them to drink as they may not be getting adequate hydration from their vegetables.