what do bearded dragons eat
If you are planning on keeping a bearded dragon as a pet, the first thing you need to acquaint yourself with is “what do bearded dragons eat”. Bearded dragons are cold blooded animals that are found in the desert and woodland surroundings. Unlike other pets such as dogs and cats which are carnivorous, bearded dragons are omnivorous animals. In a layman’s term, omnivorous are animals that feed on both flesh and vegetation. As such, your bearded dragon will need a well-balanced meal that consist of meat and vegetables so as to stay healthy and strong.
Hatchling bearded dragons mainly feed on small insects. But, as the fledging matures it starts to feed more and more on vegetable staple. The diet of an immature bearded dragon (i.e. aged between 2 and 4 months) mainly consists of roughly 80 percent insects and 20 percent vegetables. Puerile bearded dragons ought to be fed at least 3 times in a day. If not properly fed, childish bearded dragons may start to nip their toes and nails of other juvenile dragons that are staying in the same cage.
What do bearded dragons eat – Meat sources
The following are some of the sources of meat for your bearded dragon:
- Pinky mice. This is mainly fed to mature bearded dragons.
- Crickets. These are suitable for young bearded dragons.
- Cockroaches. These are suitable for dragons that have passed the age of 4 months.
- Wax worms. These are rich in fat and as such should not be provided on a regular basis.
- King worms.
What do bearded dragons eat – How to prepare food for bearded dragons
Sloughed insects are recommended for bearded dragons as they are easy to digest. In case you are planning on feeding the bearded dragon with feeder insects make certain that you have coated them using calcium supplement. Feeder insects covered with calcium supplements ought to be fed to adult bearded dragons at least 3 to 5 times a week. On the other hand, they should be fed on a daily basis to young bearded dragons. Then again, make sure that the feeder insects have been “gut-laden” prior to feeding them to your bearded dragon pet. This means that the insects are fed on nutritious as well as vitamin rich meals. Examples of foods that you can use to feed the feeder insects are collard greens, ground legumes, spinach, corn meal, apples, carrots, rolled oats, oranges, sweet potatoes, broccoli and cereals.
What do bearded dragons eat – Vegetable food sources
As pointed out earlier, bearded dragons are omnivorous, meaning that they also feed on vegetation. Therefore, make certain that the diet of your bearded dragon is made up of roughly 20 percent vegetables. On top of the green leafy vegetables, fruits should also be included. However, only add a small proportion of fruits to your bearded dragon diet. The leafy vegetables ought to be shredded to small pieces and mixed with the meat so as to urge the animal to eat all of it.
Hopefully by now we’ve answered the question ‘what do bearded dragons eat‘. But are you having problems to feed your bearded dragon? Maybe it’s not eating at all, or eating very little. This is one of the main problems that can lead you dragon to even die! Don’t let this happen! Click here to discover the best way to feed your bearded dragon.
