Bearded Dragons are medium sized lizards that are commonly kept as pets. If you just brought home your new pet, or if you and your Bearded Dragon go way back (they can live 10+ years) you might be interested to find out what you’re little lizard is craving most.
From sweet tropical fruits, green cruciferous vegetables, and their absolute favorite, worms and crickets, bearded dragons love having a varied diet of simple, natural, and omnivorous cuisine.
Keep reading to discover the top 10 foods you should feed your Bearded Dragon.
10. Papaya
Bearded Dragons are healthy little eaters if you know what to feed them. Bearded dragons that are over 12 months old should have a diet that consists of 80 percent fruits and veggies, 20 percent insects.
Papaya is a fruit suggested to be a part of your lizard’s daily diet because it is a good source of fiber. To prepare papaya for your bearded dragon to eat peel the papaya, remove the seeds and finely shred or chop the fruit. Your bearded dragon will devour this simple exotic fruit.
9. Kiwi
Photo by jarmoluk (Pixabay)
Kiwi is a real treat for Bearded Dragon’s to eat but it should only be given to them on an occasional basis.
Fresh Kiwi provides Bearded Dragons with Vitamin C but it also comes with a high amount of oxalic acid which can bind calcium – this isn’t something you want to happen. So while it is safe to feed your Bearded Dragon Kiwi, it’s best to only do so maybe twice a month (but they sure do love it!).
8. Figs
Bearded Dragons can enjoy a nice raw fig about once a week and benefit from the fiber and calcium it provides. Figs are usually dried so when feeding them to your Bearded Dragon make sure that you cut them up into small pieces first.
Figs are considered to be another special treat so they make a great snack for your pet. You won’t find a better source of calcium for your lizard than what’s in a Fig.
7. Broccoli
Broccoli is a vegetable you can feed your Bearded Dragon on an occasional basis just like Figs. If you haven’t noticed a theme here yet – Bearded Dragons need comprehensive but varied diets.
Broccoli in moderation is great for your lizard, but feed your pet too much Broccoli and the vegetable can suppress thyroid function. Broccoli stalks and leaves can be fed to your Bearded Dragon as long as they are finely chopped and shredded first.
Also, broccoli and other green vegetables are powerhouses of nutrition and include much more protein than you may realize.
How long do they live for?
They can live from 8-12 years, with some lasting into 14 years; which I believe is the max length of life. With proper care your new best friend will be with you for a good decade and then some!
They live for a very long time coz I’ve got one it’s called mango it’s a little baby .
I don’t know what one has to do with the other. Are you saying they’ll live a long time if you name them mango?
Yes lifespan of a bearded dragon all has to do with the name!!! LOL
Hey what kind of fruit and vegetables can a baby bearded Dragon eat?
It is ok just relax, try different things like mealworms and try some fruits and vegetables, just NEVER AVACODOS !!! They can kill ur dragon and we don’t want that! Also no citrus! My bearded dragon named Madelyn but maddie for short, she had a problem when I first got her, she would only eat kale and crickets and I thought maybe she was still freaked out about living somewhere else in a whole new environment so I started hand feeding her and held her a lot more so she would not be afraid of me and now she eats a lot so there is always a way. So just try handling ur dragon more and try to try different things???
So, I take it that you don’t actually own a bearded dragon or do any research whatsoever.
Broccoli binds calcium, effectively giving beardies a negative amount of calcium as well as being harsh on their kidneys due to oxalates. Mealworms are not a staple food and are too fatty for beardies, opt for superworms over mealworms any day. No dandelion greens? Mustard greens? Cabbage? Carrots?
1/10.
hey im geting a bearded dragon i learned so much so what are they like?
My bearded dragon named smokie will only eat crickets and nothing else.. What should I do?
Maybe try him on locusts, crickets are a filling food for beardies, also try him on Just simple soft apple and mixed greens
we have 2 that all they’ll eat is crickets and super worms- tied every kind of greens they recommend- NOTHING!! (I think they are taking after my kids that won’t eat their veggies either! lol)- one (who actually got very ill wen he was only 2 from eating a fire fly then lived blind) lived to be 10 with just eating the two things, and Lizzy lived to be 13 only eating the 2- so ….I know it isn’t the best for them, but mine survived just fine!
For tish… You can feed them veggies and not give them crickets until they eat the veggies you have given them! I should know I have one named Volcano and he is totally awesome! Have fun with ur beardie???????
My beardie loves Belgium endive!!
Just got a baby bearded dragon. So cute!, Named Dezmond ♡ But I’ve tried feeding him yellow squash and strawberries but all he’ll eat is crickets and mealworms giant & small ones.. I heard bee pollon powder attracts them to food from someone @ Pet Smart.. got that he still isnt going.. HELP ME OUT LIZARD FRIENDS!!
He’ll eat romaine lettuce too by the way..
Abby lettuce Romaine (never iceberg or regular lettuce whatever they call it) is okay, it’s just mostly water though and not much benefit other than that. They love bok choy finely chopped, blueberries, and someone stated just don’t feed them live food until they eat the other offerings. That’s good advice and you may have to throw away a bit until they realize the routine but just stand firm. You can also feed them collard greens and banana, sweet potato (I know people that swear they eat sweat potato baby food, and seen it, mine never took to it. Dandelion s also a beneficial green. My Beardies favorites that he eats regularly are bok choy, baby bok choy and blueberries (2 of my beardies like blueberries) If the beardie is a juvenile or baby live food is more important crickets offer much protein, but once an adult they should mostly be eating fruits, veggies and the like. I’ve had three, they all had a slightly different preferences when it came to fruits and vegetables. You might have to experiment so just buy little amounts at a time.
We’ve had bearded dragons for 14 years now. The first one , Mr Peabody was still going strong at 11 when he went after a spider on our porch and it bit him on the way down. He was quite intelligent and had learned to open doors, and was able to tell you just what kind of food he wanted. Super active – we had to feed him tons to keep him up, since he was on patrol dawn to dusk. He’d eat almost any bug he could catch – watching him cram in a cicada using both front paws like hands was quite amusing.
The younger one, Newbie, was a rescue – he was a hatchling at a pet store dragging his right front leg. The store was about to throw him out when my son took him. 3 days later the leg popped back into its socket and he’s fine now. However, he’s nowhere near as smart or active, but Is very calm and rather cuddly. My son (now almost 20) has observed that he’d never make it in the wild, so it’s good he’s a pet. He’s far more vegetarian, too.
I thought u couldnt feed them mealworms
I just bought a bearded dragon for my grandson. He named him Lightening. I am keeping him at my house until he gets a little older and bigger. He is just a baby now. My grandson comes over and rubs him. Lightening loves his crickets and meal worms. I feed him veggies and fruit too. He doesn’t care for it but I have seen him eat the lettuce. He is a neat little guy.
I was told not to feed my bearded dragon meal worms at all iceburge lettuce and Romaine are no good either. mine eats mustard greens, collard greens and reptile soft bites for bearded dragons which contains cactus fruit im not sure about what fruits to feed her my son named her harley
Baby beardies eat more live food until they are adult. I have 2 bearded dragons and my baby eats 3 times more than the adult a day. try tomatoes mine picks it out even over mario worms. Handle them as much as you can too because they become anti social and lazy. Some even prefer to be in captivity.
Of course you feed them Meal Worms. My guy, “Mr. Wizard,” likes me to hold the bowl at an angle so he can access them more easily. Sometimes he grabs four at a time~! There is a calcium powder supplement that I sprinkle on them which he doesn’t seem to mind. I have never actually seen him eating the fruits and vegetables I chop up for him daily…but he does eat some of them.
good luck with that!
Hi everyone! I am news to dragons and I have lots of questions that I am sure may be answered by Google! But would like to know from someone with real experience.
Q. 1. What is the best substrate for my adult male?
Q. 2.what kind of living foliage can I add to his habitat?
Q. 3.My Dragon spends much of his time on his heating rock with his mouth open, he is not breathing heavily or quickly, he appears very healthy. Why would this be happening?
Great read my family love Bearded Dragons… http://www.MoringaDragons.com
I know this is a pretty old topic but, I can’t believe NOBODY has mentioned dubia roaches! Hands down THE best bug for a beardie! Other veggies not mentioned and non calcium binding are, arugala, endive, and escarole. I have a boy (RJ) that is about a year and two months. He’s currently brumating so I expect he’ll put on more weight after, but before going into brumation he was (and still is) 610 grams. My other boy (copper) is about 4 1/2 months and already 300 grams. I think dubia play a big part in them being “hearty” dragons. Dubia are high in protein and also a good amount of water. They are also the easiest and best (quiet, essentially odorless, can’t climb slippery surface) bug to breed. Which is essential when raising a young beardie, as are EXTREMELY big eaters, especially under the 1 yr mark.
Karl, I hope you’ve found help as your post is 9 months old. I didn’t see it until after making my post, so I thought I’d post again, just in case. 1) personally, I find tile you be the best substrate. Easy to clean, and it may help with keeping their nails a little less sharp. (Which is good just in case they scratch their face on accident) 2) I don’t have experience with live plants, I just stick to the fake. 3) please don’t take offense, but heat rocks are BAD! Beardies cannot sense heat on their stomach and can be badly burned. “Sitting there with their mouth open,” is called gaping. It’s how they regulate their body temperature. (Like a dog panting) They can do it with or without a heat rock, but in this instance, I would guess it’s because of the heat rock. If anyone else happens upon this feed and has any other questions, I recommend beardeddragon.org it’s the best site for information that I’ve come across in my years of gathering information on these precious little creatures. But, the hands down best piece of advice I can give anyone is, BEFORE purchasing a dragon, RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH! KNOW WHAT YOUR LITTLE GUY/GAL NEEDS BEFORE YOU BRING HIM HOME. They don’t necessarily need a lot, but as their parent, there’s a lot you should know. Feeding, hydrating, shedding, temps, humidity, calcium, multi – vitamin, cleaning, fecal testing, illnesses they’re susceptible to, and a big one: ADENOVIRUS. (this is a virus that seems to be spreading due to people not knowing about it. It can be lethal, or it can be managed. If your dragon is ADV (adenovirus) positive and does not die from it, it is possible for them to have a good life with extra care. I recommend avoiding chain stores when making a bearded dragon purchase. Try finding a reputable breeder, and ask if the dragons parents were ADV negative. This is one site where you can find ADV negative dragons: http://www.northerndragons.info/44636558
Well, I went on longer than I intended, hope this was helpful. 🙂
Hello everyone!, Bearded dragons can not eat meal worms… as it may seem like they like or even love them it is to hard on there digestive system and will slowly kill your bearded dragon… Good luck to everyone and have a great day! ;]