Do bearded dragons need live food? In the wild, the vast majority of their diet is composed of insects and other small invertebrates. Bearded dragons are opportunistic feeders and will typically eat anything that they can catch and fit in their mouths.
While live food is not strictly necessary for bearded dragons, many owners choose to include it as part of their pet’s diet. There are a number of advantages to offering live insects, such as the fact that they may be more nutritious than their counterparts that have been pre-killed.
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Some people also believe that live food is more natural for bearded dragons and closer to what they would eat in the wild. Additionally, many reptiles enjoy the hunt and chase associated with catching their own food.
Feed Live Food
Despite any concerns you may have about it being cruel to feed live food, your bearded dragon will benefit from this approach in several ways. First, live insects will be significantly more nutritious than pre-killed ones. This is because many of the important nutrients are lost during the pre-killing process.
Second, in addition to a wider variety of nutritious insects being offered, your bearded dragon will gain valuable hunting skills as they learn to stalk and catch their prey. Finally, there are a number of different insects and other small invertebrates that you can offer your pet as live food, giving them the opportunity to explore a range of different tastes and textures.
Overall, while feeding live insects may seem like an inconvenience or even cruel to some owners, it is definitely worthwhile when you consider all the potential benefits for your bearded dragon’s health and well-being.
What Do Bearded Dragons Eat in The Wild?
Bearded dragons are desert-dwelling lizards that are native to Australia. It is important to mimic their natural diet as closely as possible to ensure optimal health. Crickets should make up the majority of their diet, with other insects being offered as occasional treats.
What Do Bearded Dragons Eat in Captivity?
Bearded dragons are a type of lizard that is native to Australia. They get their name from the spines that run down their neck and back, which resemble a beard. These lizards can grow to be up to 2 feet long and live for up to 15 years in captivity.
In the wild, bearded dragons are omnivores. In captivity, a common staple of their diet is crickets. However, bearded dragons need a varied diet that consists of insects, fruits, and vegetables to stay healthy.
Insects can make up between 50-75% of their diet in captivity. Commonly fed insects include crickets and mealworms. Bearded dragons also like to eat hornworms, king worms, and wax worms.
Fruits and vegetables can make up the rest of their diet and should be offered daily. Bearded dragons will typically eat dark leafy greens like collard greens, turnip greens, and mustard greens. They also enjoy carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, and green beans.
How to Feed a Bearded Dragon
Bearded Dragons are omnivorous, meaning they eat both plant and animal matter. To feed a Bearded Dragon, you’ll need to give them a diet of both fruits and vegetables, as well as insects like crickets. The amount of each type of food that should be offered each day depends on the age, weight, and size of your Bearded Dragon.
Younger dragons need to be fed more often than adults since they’re growing quite fast. If you plan on breeding your Bearded Dragons in the future, it’s important to use a high-quality vitamin and mineral supplement that provides calcium. This is especially important for females during egg incubation.
To ensure your Bearded Dragon is getting enough food, you should offer them at least 2-3 insects per day. For fruits and vegetables, a good rule of thumb is to offer them as much as they can eat in a 10-minute period.
What To Do If Your Bearded Dragon is Not Eating
If your bearded dragon is not eating, there are a few things you can do to try and get them back on track.
First, check to make sure that there is food available that they like. Bearded dragons can be picky eaters, so offering a variety of foods may help them find something they’re interested in.
Bearded dragons may also stop eating if they feel stressed or uncomfortable. Check the temperature and lighting conditions in their habitat, and try to create an environment that is as comfortable as possible for them.
In some cases, your dragon may simply not be hungry at the moment. If this is the case, simply wait a day or two and try again. If your bearded dragon continues to not eat, or if they seem to be losing weight, it is best to consult a veterinarian.
Supplements For Bearded Dragons
Bearded Dragons are omnivorous, meaning that they will eat a variety of different types of foods. This includes pinky mice, crickets, and other insects. They also enjoy eating fruits and vegetables. In fact, bearded dragons will consume most of their food fresh or lightly cooked, unless it is a protein source.
For example, it is advised to feed a bearded dragon an occasional insect that has been lightly cooked. This will prevent the possibility of impaction in your bearded dragon’s gut. Bearded dragons are unable to digest some forms of protein, so you should avoid feeding them raw eggs or baby mice.
A lack of calcium can cause your bearded dragon to become weak and have trouble moving. Bearded dragons also require vitamin A to maintain their vision and keep their skin healthy.
What To Feed Your Beardies
Bearded dragon live food supplements can greatly increase their ration and ensure you get the most out of your animals. Feed your adult bearded dragon a variety of insects and vegetables. Juvenile bearded dragons (1-3 years old) are best fed a diet of predominantly insects. Adult bearded dragons (3-6 years old) do best on a diet of 10% fruit and 90% insects.
Baby bearded dragons (0-1 years old) should be offered a diet of 50% insects and 50% vegetables. Bearded dragon’s diet also comprises a lot of supplements. These include calcium, vitamin D3, and other vitamins and minerals.
Exotic pet shops are full of bearded dragon supplements that seem to claim they will magically cure all of a beardie’s problems. Bearded dragon’s eyes are very sensitive. So it is important to not use a supplement that irritates the eyes such as vitamin A. Gut-loading insects are the best way to get vitamins and minerals into your bearded dragon.
Dragon Insects: There are a variety of insects you can feed your dragon. Feed live insects whenever possible. Bearded dragons love catching their own food!
Feeding Baby Beardies: When feeding baby beardies, you should give them small insects. These can be crickets, mealworms, or phoenix worms.
The Dragon Eats Vegetables: In addition to insects, bearded dragons also enjoy vegetables.
Wild Insects: You can also supplement your bearded dragon’s diet with wild-caught insects. These include flies, moths, and grasshoppers.
Gut Loading: Gut loading is the process of feeding insects a nutritious diet before they are fed to your reptile.
Conclusion – Do Bearded Dragons Need Live Food?
Bearded dragons are omnivores, which means that they need both plant and animal matter in their diet. In the wild, they would get their animal matter from eating small insects, but in captivity, we can provide them with a variety of different protein sources.
The most common protein source for bearded dragons is live food, such as crickets, mealworms, and roaches. They will also eat dead insects, such as silkworms and wax worms, but live food is usually more appealing to them.
In addition to crickets and the other live foods listed above, bearded dragons will also eat some different forms of plant matter. The most common supplement in their diet is calcium powder, which can be added to their water or food.
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