Wild bearded dragons eat a wide variety of foods in general, including a considerable amount of vegetation. They are true omnivores, avidly consuming all kinds of insects, other invertebrates, small vertebrates, leaves, flowers, and fruit. A bearded dragon keeper must provide a varied and well-balanced diet for their dragons.
A bearded dragon’s diet is primarily made up of two parts:
1. Animal (or prey, or meat as it may be called) meaning insects, arthropods, and other invertebrates.
2. Vegetables, including leaves, fruits, flowers and roots.
Let’s look at each of these factors more closely.
• The vast majority of the prey that barbets normally feed on are insects. Bearded dragons are not picky about the insects they eat. The general rule is “if it moves, eat it”.
• You can catch food for your dragons yourself, but it will take a long time to catch large numbers of insects that even a bearded dragon will eat regularly. Therefore, most keepers buy insects. Insects fed live to beardies will normally chase and stagger them.
• If you prefer to catch your food for your barbudos, always keep in mind that insects can be contaminated with pesticides, herbicides, since public places are often sprayed with chemicals.
• Some insects are toxic and poisonous in nature (monarch butterflies and their larvae, fireflies, and grasshoppers are just a few examples).
• Dragons will enjoy chasing moths and jumping on them. Moths, June beetles, earthworms, grasshoppers, and flies provide some variety to their diet.
• Remember that by feeding them food that has been caught in the wild, there is a risk of introducing parasites to your lizards. Watch for signs of infestations.
If you don’t want to catch food, live bugs are available at most pet stores and are inexpensive. Crickets are readily available and are probably the best insect to use as a staple food. Mealworms, waxworms, fruit flies, and occasionally other insects may also be available at your local store.
If you’re caring for a large number of barbets, you’ll probably want to order bugs in bulk, both to save money when ordering in large batches and on trips to and from the local pet store.
A large part of the nutritional content of insects resides in the undigested and partially digested food in their intestines. Healthy, well-fed insects provide more nutrients to captive reptiles than those living in duel. Many pet stores do not feed their insects very well. So if you bring your crickets home from the pet store, don’t immediately throw them into your barbet’s cage. It is much better if the crickets and other insects are fed a nutritious diet before feeding it to the dragons.
Crickets are one of the easiest commercial insects to keep. All they need is a simple leakproof container with some food and a few hiding places (a few layers of egg cartons or crumpled up bits of newspaper).
Mealworms should be kept in a few inches of wheat or oat bran with a few slices of pumpkin or sweet potato on top. Some green leafy vegetables can be included, but change them daily or mold will develop.
Many keepers also feed mice to their bearded dragons, as long as they are healthy. They are high in fat, so they should not be fed too often.
Vegetation is the second major component of a proper dragon diet. Most of the items in your grocery store produce are good additions to the menu. They should be highly nutritious green leafy vegetables, rich in calcium.
In addition to green leafy vegetables, many other fruits can be included in your diet, including carrots, bell peppers, okra, squash, celery, corn, and beans, to name a few.
