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5: DIET AND FEEDING MANAGEMENT

Bearded dragons consume a wide variety of animal and plant foods throughout their lives. Studies of the stomach contents of wild bearded dragons in Australia showed that, when young, these lizards eat about 50 percent live food and 50 percent plants; when mature, they eat mostly (65–90 percent) plant matter. Observations of thousands of dragons in breeding facilities suggest that they have similar food preferences when living in certain conditions in captivity. However, under indoor conditions, we find that juveniles will consume more live, moving prey when they are young (approximately 90 percent live prey and 10 percent plant matter). We offer relatively more vegetarian fare when the dragons reach subadulthood to adulthood. The wild diet of bearded dragon juveniles differs perhaps due to the abundant variety of wild prey. Indoors, the commercially available prey items may not be as nutritionally dense, which could be why we find that babies will consume so much more live prey indoors than in the wild. Young bearded dragons need a variety of prey, so we recommend providing two or three different types, such as crickets, Dubia roaches, and black soldier fly larvae to provide nutritional variety.

It is our experience that very young bearded dragons really do need live prey. Without live food, there is a high risk of stunted growth, malnutrition, and even death from starvation. Moreover, baby dragons housed together will cannibalize each other, nipping off toes and tail tips if hungry and deprived of adequate amounts of live prey. If you want a bearded dragon as a pet but won’t accept crickets in the house, we suggest that you feed black soldier fly larvae (Phoenix Worms). These high-calcium, extremely nutritious worms make no noise, require no feeding, and need only be kept in a cup at room temperature. You can also feed silkworms and/or green hornworms, which need to be fed but not refrigerated. Mature dragons can stay alive for some time without live prey, but they will be unhappy and will not thrive.

The enthusiastic and eclectic appetites of bearded dragons give owners an opportunity to interact with their pets and bring much enjoyment to both species. Food treats can be used as rewards and to attract the attention of a pet dragon. Many a dragon happily bounds up to an owner when snacks are in hand, and food often serves as the strongest bond between dragon and owner. Dragons are nutritionally robust, handling many food treats and careful diet changes with minimal or easily resolved perturbation of their digestive tracts. Sound diets for bearded dragons have built-in nutritional flexibility that allows for treats and snacks without risking imbalances. In other words, bearded dragons can consume a wide variety of foods as long as those foods are appropriate. We provide guidelines for sound diets and appropriate snacks later in this chapter.

Insects make up a large part of a pet bearded dragon’s daily diet.

Food and Supplement Sources

Insects

Bearded dragons are usually fed commercially bred invertebrates, such as crickets (Acheta domestica), Dubia roaches (Blaptica dubia), superworms (Zophobus morio), waxworms (Galleria mellonella), black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens), and others, which are available for sale online and in many pet-supply shops. We recommend avoiding mealworms because they can cause intestinal impaction and metabolic bone disease due to their high phosphorous content. Bearded dragons cannot be maintained well on flying insects, such as houseflies, which easily evade the dragons. Although some dragons may eat earthworms and other garden worms, these are not typical prey for the species, thus most will not eat them.

Vertebrate Prey

Larger bearded dragons do not hesitate to eat small lizards and, in fact, appear to relish them. In captivity, adults also feed on juvenile (pink to fuzzy) mice, which can be a useful part of a varied diet for larger dragons, providing nutrients such as calcium as well as many vitamins and trace minerals that are not readily available from invertebrates and salads. Vertebrate prey require you to feed them balanced diets and water you keep them for more than a day. Feeding your dragons frozen or thawed pinkies and fuzzy mice is a humane and convenient option.

Greens and Other Produce

Regarding vegetarian foods, torn dark leafy greens are best for juvenile dragons, while subadult and adult bearded dragons can make use of a variety of approved vegetable and fruits. There is a food chart available on the Fire and Ice Dragons’ website that lists feeding recommendations for a wide variety of fruits and vegetables: www.fireandicedragons.com/food_chart/food_chart.html.

You can feed your dragons plants from fields and lawns that haven’t been treated with pesticides and herbicides, too; they especially relish leaves and blossoms from clover, dandelion, and mustard. Other treats include petals from rose blossoms, hibiscus, and calendula (again, untreated with chemicals). Calendula is very easy to grow from seed and has beautiful yellow flowers.

Salads and other fresh produce provide both nutrients and water.

Pellets

Commercial diets for bearded dragons are primarily in the form of dry pellets, marketed either specifically for bearded dragons or for other pets. Bearded dragons have been raised and maintained successfully on diets that consist partially of commercial dry dog and cat foods as well as dry foods made for iguanas, tortoises, and caged birds. It is our opinion that no bearded dragon’s diet should consist solely of dry commercial foods, whether bearded dragon food or food made for other animals. The advantages and drawbacks of commercial diets are discussed later in this chapter.

Supplements

Bearded dragons require supplementation with a powdered vitamin/mineral supplement and calcium to make up for the deficiencies and high phosphorus levels found in commercially produced insects and produce. Reptile supplements are readily available online and in stores that sell reptile supplies. Because supplements vary widely in their formulations, you should carefully examine their labels to determine their ingredients. Ideally, you should select a source of calcium, such as calcium carbonate powder, plus a supplement that contains vitamins and minerals, including trace minerals. You need to give your dragons only small amounts— just enough to lightly coat, or dust, the insects.