How to Feed a Bearded Dragon

Just like most scaly animals, Pogona or bearded dragon species are omnivorous animals. They have been able to adapt wonderfully to their original environment - the woodlands, savannas and deserts of Australia. They will eat mostly everything, which has allowed them to thrive in the wild.

To learn more fun facts about omnivorous animals, take a look at our article.

In the market we can find fodder and feed especially designed for lizards. This is a comfortable and complete solution to feed our pet; this kind of lizard feed tends to be based on legumes, cereals, fish, worms, vegetables, fruits and extra minerals, among other ingredients.

However, a bearded dragon's diet can't be only based on pre-made feed, since it would create deficiencies in their nutrition. We must also remember that every animal is unique, and there's the possibility that your new pet doesn't pay any notice of bought feed. If that happens, you'll have to enhance its diet with the following options.

In a bearded dragon's diet there should always be fruits and vegetables - not feeding your pet any veggies is just not an option. In general, Pogona accept all kinds of fruits and vegetables, so we recommend you offer it different pieces to learn what it prefers.

• Daily: You can always feed a bearded dragon apricots, alfalfa, apple, arugula, asparagus, beans, blackberries, celery, dandelion, endives, escarole, figs, mango, melon, lentils, pumpkin, raspberries, soy, sweet potato, tangerines, thistle, watercress, zucchini, mulberry leaves, papaya, cucumber, pear, peppers, leeks, radishes, tomato, grapes and carrots.

• Occasionally: You can sometimes feed a bearded dragon cabbage, peas, Brussels sprouts, bananas, broccoli, beets, kiwi, boiled rice, chard, borage or corn.

• Never: You should not feed a bearded dragon any cheese, onion, garlic, eggplant, avocado, cherries, apple or pear seeds.

Besides processed feed, fruits and vegetables, bearded dragons also need the nutrients from live feed, just as they would hunt in their natural habitat.

Offer your bearded dragon a small quantity of crickets, cockroaches, locusts, ants and termites. Occasionally you can give it the worms that live in flour or honey, as well as snails. You can get them from specialized pet stores, since other sources might be contaminated with pesticides and bacteria.

You should never feed your bearded dragon wasps, hornets, bees, flies, beetles, ladybugs or fireflies.

Especially in breeding periods or if your bearded dragon is sick, we can add supplements to its diet including minerals and vitamins. Young lizards can be fed calcium supplements 5 times a week to help them get stronger.

It's a good idea to coat live feed in these alimentary supplements.

If you want to read similar articles to How to Feed a Bearded Dragon, we recommend you visit our Healthy diets category.