Bearded dragons can eat a variety of vegetables such as dark leafy greens, bell peppers, carrots, squash, zucchini, turnips, mustard greens, collard greens, and spinach. Other vegetables such as sweet potatoes, cucumbers, bean sprouts, and broccoli can be offered as occasional treats.
You can also introduce other colorful vegetables such as corn, peas, or tomatoes. Non-starchy fruits such as apples, melon, grapes, and strawberries can be included in a reptile’s salad as occasional treats.
Always make sure to wash all fruits and vegetables before serving them to your pet. To add variety to your pet’s diet, consider adding insects such as silkworms, crickets, waxworms, or woodlice. When adding insects to your bearded dragon’s diet, ensure you are offering them pre-gut loaded ones that have been kept on a healthy diet.
Reptile-safe flowers such as hibiscus and pansies can also be offered as occasional treats. Never feed your bearded dragon any processed food, dairy products, grains, nuts, or meat. Finally, always ensure your bearded dragon has access to fresh, clean drinking water.
What human food can Beardies eat?
Beardies, also known as Bearded Dragons, are omnivorous lizards that require a diet of both plant and animal matter. Generally, their diet should consist of plant matter (like collard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, mustard greens, and other leafy greens) and animal proteins (like crickets, small mealworms, earthworms, waxworms, roaches, etc).
In addition to their normal dietary needs, Beardies can also be given human food from time to time as a treat. Some good human food items that can be given to Beardies include cooked peas, cooked carrots, cooked sweet potatoes, cooked winter squash, steamed broccoli, occasional boiled eggs, occasional cooked chicken, occasional cooked beef, occasional cooked turkey, and occasional cooked fish.
However, human food items should only be given sparingly, no more than once or twice a week.
When introducing human foods to Beardies, it is important to only feed items that are plain and not salted, battered, or cooked in any fats or oils. Also, it is important to make sure all pieces are small enough for the lizard to safely consume without causing a choking hazard.
Finally, it is important to only feed Beardies outside of their regular diet. Too much human food over long periods of time can lead to health problems for the Beardies.
What is the greens for a bearded dragon?
The greens for a bearded dragon should consist of dark, leafy greens as well as other vegetables for them to enjoy. Some of the best greens to feed a bearded dragon are : turnip, collard, mustard, and dandelion greens, endive, escarole, parsley, cilantro, chard, kale, beet greens, arugula, and herbs (basil, mint, oregano, sage, and thyme).
All of these should be thoroughly washed and chopped before being fed to your bearded dragon. Additionally, adding vegetables like carrots, squash, bell peppers, and green beans to the bearded dragon’s diet can provide them with a variety of colors and nutritious benefits with lots of healthy vitamins and minerals.
Other fruits that some bearded dragon owners like to feed their pets are strawberries, apples, pears, and melon (in small amounts). For a balanced diet, it is important to also offer occasional insects such as gut-loaded crickets, mealworms, superworms, and waxworms.
How often should I feed my bearded dragon salad?
Your bearded dragon should be fed salad two to three times a week. Bearded dragons need their nutrition to change and be varied so they get all the necessary vitamins and minerals. When feeding a salad, make sure that it contains a variety of dark, leafy greens to ensure your dragon gets a wide range of nutrients.
Fresh vegetables like carrots, squash, bell peppers and cucumbers are also recommended. Make sure to remove all seeds and stems before feeding as these can make your dragon sick. You should also avoid giving your dragon any iceberg lettuce as it consists mostly of water and does not provide the necessary nutrients your dragon needs.
Finally, you can also offer lightly boiled vegetables such as spinach, kale and collard greens as part of the salad.
Can bearded dragons eat cucumbers?
Yes, bearded dragons can definitely eat cucumbers. Bearded dragons benefit from a balanced, varied diet that should include a wide range of vegetables, including cucumbers! Cucumbers are low in calories and contain useful vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, magnesium, and potassium.
As with other vegetables, cucumbers should be peeled and chopped into small pieces before providing them to your bearded dragon. Don’t forget to also offer finely chopped dark, leafy greens, as well as a few insects and more complex proteins.
Bearded dragons may also enjoy unpeeled cucumbers slices as a treat. As with all treats, moderation is key. Offer no more than a quarter of the daily food intake in treats.
Can a bearded dragon eat spinach and spring mix?
Yes, bearded dragons can eat spinach and spring mix. Both of these plants are excellent sources of leafy green vitamins and minerals, and both are favored foods for bearded dragons. It is important to be sure that both spring mix and spinach are washed and free from pesticides or other chemical residues.
Spinach and spring mix can also be fed to bearded dragons on an occasional basis to supplement regular foods such as crickets, mealworms, superworms, and waxworms. When feeding spinach or spring mix, be sure to only feed these items to bearded dragons in small amounts and often no more than twice a week.
Additionally, it is advised to limit how much of these plants the dragon eats in one day, as a diet of too much leafy greens can potentially cause calcium deficiency. Therefore, it is important to ensure that they are receiving other staple foods and vegetables in order to maintain a balanced diet.
Can Beardies eat tomatoes?
Yes, Bearded Dragons can eat tomatoes, but you should be careful and only provide them in moderation. Tomatoes are considered a high-calcium vegetable that can provide your Beardie with some of the vitamin A and other essential vitamins and minerals they need.
However, they are also high in acidity and can have an effect on your Beardie’s stomach. Too much tomato can also cause soft stools or diarrhea, so it’s best to limit your Beardie’s consumption to no more than once a week.
When feeding tomatoes to your Beardie, make sure to chop it into small cubes and give only a few at a time. Be sure to remove any uneaten tomatoes from the enclosure afterwards. Additionally, it may be best to avoid feeding your Beardie tomato plant leaves or stems, as these may contain levels of toxic substances that could cause health issues.