What do bearded dragons eat?

Why choose a bearded dragon as a pet?

Bearded dragons are my favorite reptile of all time. I purchased my first bearded dragon when I was 12 years old at a reptile show, and I have been keeping and breeding them ever since. Their ease of care and perfect personalities make them one of the best reptiles to own. They love attention, and enjoy being held. They're one of the most popular reptiles on the market, and we have produced thousands of bearded dragons for reptile lovers over the years.

The Bearded Dragon Daily Diet:

Today's blog post will cover the nutritional requirements of bearded dragons, and give some examples of the types of foods we feed our bearded dragons here at Exo-Morphs. 

Bearded dragons are omnivores which means they eat both plants and animals. In the wild they are opportunistic omnivores, and will eat a variety of plants, insects, and small invertebrates such as other lizards and rodents. This diet is very easy to replicate in captivity, and there are a variety of options for feeding them a healthy diet that meets all of their nutritional needs.

The diet of a bearded dragon changes as they age. Juvenile bearded dragons need a protein-rich diet for growth and development whereas adult bearded dragons need more greens, carbohydrates, and far less protein.

*Note: The general rule of thumb for feeding bearded dragons is to never feed them anything larger than the space between their eyes. This is common knowledge in the reptile industry and an important rule to follow. If a bearded dragon tries to eat something too large it can choak to death trying to swallow it down. We recommend chopping and dicing all fruits, vegetables, and greens as well to make their meals easier for them to consume without the risk of choaking. 

*Note: If you cannot tolerate feeding live insects to your pet then a bearded dragon might not be the best reptile for you. If you really want a reptile, then I recommend looking into purchasing a crested gecko, gargoyle gecko, tortoise, or some other fruit-eating reptile.

Hatchling & Juvenile Bearded Dragon Diet:

When bearded dragons are young, basically from the time they hatch until about 1 to 1.5 years of age, they require a high protein diet. This means they will need an abundance of live insects like dubia roaches or crickets as staple feeders. They also enjoy the occasional "treat" insect like waxworms, hornworms, superworms, mealworms, black soldier fly larvae, etc. It's important to choose a staple feeder insect that's high in protein and low in fat which makes dubia roaches and crickets the ideal choice. We call insects like superworms and waxworms "treats" because are too high in fat, and will lead to growing an unhealthy and obese bearded dragon, and should be offered in moderation.

In the wild, bearded dragons are lean, muscular and athletic and overfeeding is a common problem with captive bearded dragons, especially when they are young.

Young bearded dragons prefer insects over anything, but we still provide greens and other vegetables after their first few feedings. They are naturally curious and will eat greens almost immediately.

We feed all of our hatchling bearded dragons 2-3 times each day. We offer insects at each feeding, and a daily salad. Each hatchling will consume 7-10 appropriately sized insects at feeding time. They are voracious eaters needing regular feedings for optimal growth and development and a proper feeding regiment is crucial at this stage of their lives. 

We feed our juvenile bearded dragons (3-11 months old) 1-2 times per day. They will consume 7-10 appropriately sized insects at each feeding. We eventually begin reducing the frequency of feedings to once per day, 4-5 times per week as they get closer to adulthood.

The proper ratio of insects to plant matter is about 70-80% insects and 20-30% greens at this age. 

Adolescent & Adult Bearded Dragon Diet:

As a bearded dragon ages, they will gradually begin to gravitate towards greens, vegetables & fruits. They still love insects, but after a year or so you can begin to cut back their insect intake significantly. Bearded dragons reach adulthood between 1.5-2 years, with males reaching sexual maturity much earlier than females. 

We feed our adolescent and adult bearded dragons greens and insects 3 times per week. Feeding days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday with a break from feeding over the weekend. This feeding schedule helps keep our adult bearded dragons fit and lean. We also increase feeding frequencies during mating & breeding season to boost the nutrition levels needed to produce healthy offspring. 

The ratio of insects to plant matter you should be aiming for is 20-30% insects and 70-80% greens at adulthood.

Calcium Powder, Vitamin D3 & UVB Lighting:

Another crucial element to the bearded dragon diet is the supplementation of calcium powder with vitamin D3. Insects should be "dusted" with calcium powder at every feeding, and proper UVB lighting is required at all times. Bearded dragons need UVB to synthesize vitamin D3 and absorb calcium, and without UVB, providing calcium powder is essentially useless.

Captive diets and artificial lighting do not provide enough minerals and sunlight on their own, which can lead to calcium deficiencies in bearded dragons. This creates weak bones, poor muscle support, and inadequate nerve development often developing into Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). 

Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD):

MBD is one of the most common ailments affecting captive bearded dragons, and can be recognized by curvatures of the spine and limbs, rubbery jaws, and muscle tremors. When a bearded dragon is calcium deficient, their bones will weaken and their muscles will pull on the bones causing them to bend and contort.

Please be on the lookout for signs of MBD when purchasing or raising a bearded dragon. It's not always a death sentence, but it can shorten their lifespan and inhibit their ability to live a long and healthy life.

If you notice signs of MBD in your bearded dragon we recommend contacting a veterinarian immediately and they will help you get the proper supplementation and habitat requirements straightened out to prevent the MBD from progressing further.

What are bearded dragon's favorite greens?

When purchasing greens for your bearded dragon, the general rule is the darker the better. Dark leafy greens are much more nutrient-dense, and contain high levels of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Dark leafy greens contain vitamins A, C & K plus folate and iron.

We like to cycle through the greens we offer at each feeding, and some of our favorites are collard greens, dandelion, escarole, kale, spinach, arugula, and spring mix. Avoid purchasing regular green lettuce, iceberg lettuce, or other common lettuce varieties as they do not contain the proper nutrients for a healthy diet.  

What are bearded dragon's favorite vegetables?

Bearded dragons can eat just about any vegetables, however they prefer some more than others. From our experience, we have observed that they love carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, bell peppers, and zucchini. Avoid feeding your bearded dragons onions and garlic as they are toxic and can harm your pet. 

What are bearded dragon's favorite fruits?

Just like vegetables, most fruits are safe for bearded dragons as well. Be sure not to overfeed your bearded dragon fruit as they can develop digestive issues and loose stools. We have noticed that our bearded dragons prefer apples, strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, and mango. They will also eat grapes, cranberries, cherries, prunes, pears and other melons. We avoid feeding or bearded dragons citrus fruits as they are too acidic and can cause an irritated digestive system.

What's the best time of the day to feed my bearded dragon?

We recommend feeding your bearded dragon a few hours after their lights are on and their digestive system has had time to warm up and start functioning properly. If a bearded dragon is too cold they will often ignore their food. It's best to wait until they have been basking for a few hours.

It's also important to not feed them too late in the day, as they need to be able to bask for proper digestion. If you feed them too late and their basking lights turn off for the night, they will have a hard time digesting and absorbing all the nutrients from their food. 

Can I feed my bearded dragon on loose substrate?

Yes, but with caution. Loose substrates always run the risk of impaction. Bearded dragons are not particularly accurate when it comes to catching their prey. They will often accidentally eat mouthfuls of loose substrate while hunting, and if the substrate is not digestible they can have their digestive system clogged leading to impaction and death. We hear many horror stories of impaction issues from other reptile keepers, and for that reason we do not use loose substrate in our bearded dragon enclosures. 

In the past we have raised bearded dragons on sand and soil mixtures with excellent results. It's fun to watch them digging through the soil to find superworms, dubia roaches, or other insects that burrowed into the ground. Natural substrate can be a great source of enrichment for your bearded dragon. Even though natural loose substrate has it's benefits, we now opt for easier to manage options such as slate tile, linoleum flooring, and newspaper. If you insist on using natural loose substrate, always monitor your bearded dragon at feeding time to be sure they're not eating it. 

Can I feed my bearded dragon bugs from outside?

Please don't. Wild insects can contain bacteria, parasites, or other harmful toxins. Also, captive reptiles do not have gut flora required to safely consume wild insects like their wild relatives and you should never feed them any backyard bugs. 

Can I feed my bearded dragon mealworms?

Of course you can, but in moderation. Mealworms and superworms are both known to be hard for bearded dragons to digest due to their high shell to meat ratio. Their exoskeleton is made of hard chitin and difficult to digest. Mealworms and superworms should be fed sparingly as a treat. They are not good staple feeders, and you will often see that your bearded dragon has consumed too many and vomited them back up in their enclosure. If you see shells in their feces or piles of undigested mealworms or superworms lying around their enclosure, it's a good indicator that you should stop feeding them those types of insects for a while. There's so much misinformation online saying you should absolutely not feed your bearded dragon mealworms, but we have never had any major issues in years of breeding bearded dragons, as long as they are fed in moderation and they have the necessary heating and lighting requirements for optimal digestion.