Feeding and Watering



General


Bearded Dragons are omnivores. They require both insects and vegetables/fruit. Some also feed pinkie mice.

Note:  Leave lights on for at least two hours after the last meal of the day for optimal digestion.  Some Bearded Dragons will also refuse to eat in the morning if they are not warm yet. 

Ratios of Salad vs. Insects


For a Bearded Dragon more than a year old, there should be roughly 70% salad and 30% insects. At this age a Bearded Dragon should get 50 crickets OR 30 worms a week.  Obesity is a problem in this age bracket.  So a good feeding schedule would be in threes.  One day salad, one day insects, one day nothing, and then repeat. 

For a Bearded Dragon less than a year old, there should be 70% insects and 30% salad in their diet.  A young Bearded Dragon should get between 30-80 appropriately sized crickets (smaller than the space between the Bearded Dragon's eyes) a day.  Before the age of 2 to 3 months, young Bearded Dragons should be fed 3-5 times a day.  Between 3 and eight months, they should be fed twice a day.  After eight months, they can be fed once a day.  

Insects

There are many types of feeder insects with varying health and worth. I will list some of the safer and healthier ones here.

Note on gut-loading: Feed your insects well at least 24 hours in advance of when they are fed off. This is called gut-loading. Some feeders are nutritionally worthless if they are not gut-loaded.

Note on outside insects:  Do NOT feed insects from outside.  Not only may they have gotten into fertilizers or poisons, but they almost certainly have parasites that they can pass on to your Bearded Dragon.  Some may also be deadly poisonous in and of themselves, like lightning bugs/fireflies are, which will kill your pet almost instantly, every time.  Insects from outside simply aren't a safe option.  Buy your insects from reputable pet stores or insect dealers.

Crickets
One of the cheapest and easiest to find.  They have a good iron content that is rarely found in other feeders.  When feeding crickets be careful that they are no larger than the width between your pet’s eyes to prevent choking and impaction. Crickets have a nasty habit of chewing bits of your Bearded Dragon once your pet is asleep and creating awful little open wounds that can become infected. For this reason you must make sure that all crickets are removed from the tank after feeding. Or better yet feed in a different area such as  a large rubber maid.  Be aware that, of all the feeder insects, crickets are the most likely to carry parasites (particularly pin worms).  Crickets can be kept in a tall (taller than they can jump) open air rubber maid or a cricket keeper.  Just make sure there is plenty of air circulation.  They can eat the leftovers from your Bearded Dragon's salad, and add some potatoes for moisture.  They need fresh food daily.  Also put in either egg crates or paper towel/toilet paper rolls in there for them. 

Silkworms
Silkworms are high in protein.  They also contain the enzyme serapeptase, which acts as a safe pain reliever, antiflammatory, and also cleans teeth. Silkworms have a low percent of digestible fats and have a low chance of passing on parasites.  They are, however, high maintenance (you need to order their food and sanitize everything for them) and somewhat expensive.  It is necessary to make sure that they aren’t too large. Although there is little risk of impaction, there is a risk of choking. Use common sense. Both the worms and the small flightless moths they pupate into are edible.  Silkworms can be kept in rubber maids.  It is best if the rubber maid has a lid with holes in it for circulation and to keep them in.  On the bottom, put in some fine mesh so the poop falls below but the silkworms stay on top.  Silk worms eat either specially formulated Silkworm Chow or Mulberry leaves, and that's it.  They can't survive for long on anything else.  Everything that touches them or their food needs to be sanitized with rubbing alcohol.

Phoenix Worms/Calci-Worms
These are extremely high in calcium (they don’t even need to be supplemented with a calcium dust, which will be discussed later).  They are also soft bodied, and so less likely to cause impaction. Phoenix worms are small, which can be either bad or good depending on circumstances.  They require pretty much no care.  Just keep them in the containers they come in and they will be fine. 

Superworms
Superworms should only be fed to Bearded Dragons 16 inches in length from snout to tip of tail. Before then they may cause impaction.  You should also only feed your pet a few superworms in a sitting. There are instances of Bearded Dragons throwing them back up if they gorge themselves on these. When you begin feeding, only give one or two a day and watch the stool carefully to make sure they are being fully digested before you increase the number. Superworms do cause impaction in some dragons, so you need to be attentive when you start them on this feeder.  Superworms are extremely easy to keep, they last for a long time, and they are cheap.  The pupae and beetle can be fed as well, but its best if the beetle is just a treat.  Superworms will bite (you).  All Superworms need as far as care goes is to stay in the containers you buy them in, and to have a piece or two of potato added daily.  Make sure you take out the old potatoes to prevent mold.

Hornworms
Hornworms are expensive but they are also easy to keep.  They are another of the biters.  They get large and grow very quickly.  Hornworms are a good source of protein.  Hornworms require specialized food, just as Silkworms do. 

Roaches- Deathhead, Lobster, Dubias, and Discoid
You need a way to keep the Roaches inside their containers so they don’t climb the glass.  This can be done by putting  vaseline, olive oil, cooking oil, or petroleum jelly on the top couple of inches of the container.  Roaches are very easy to breed and purportedly very healthy for Bearded Dragons.  They provide a good amount of protein.  It's best to stick to roaches that are smaller than the space between your Bearded Dragon’s eyes.  Roaches can be kept in rubber maids.  If they are overcrowded, they will bite off each other's antennas, so watch for this.  They like it warm, and can eat the leftovers from your Bearded Dragon's salad, with some potatoes for moisture, and possibly some dog, cat, or fish food for protein.  They need egg crates kept in with them. 

Locusts
Locusts are allowed in places like the UK, but not in the US.  This is unfortunate, since Locusts provide a decent amount of protein and are low in fat.  They are fairly soft bodied, so impaction is less likely (still follow the width between the eyes rule though).  Locusts should be kept in containers with a tight fitting lid.  Put in some twigs for them.  They eat bran and grass. 

Occasional/Treat Insects
There are some insects that are not good as staples that you feed everyday (Note:  All of the above insects, from crickets to locusts, are staple insects), for various reasons.  These Occasional insects are mealworms, butterworms, and waxworms.  Mealworms are suitable for treats only for Bearded Dragons over a year old, because their hard shells can cause impaction in younger Bearded Dragons.  They also do not have much nutrition, and so will not fulfill dietary needs if given as a staple.  Butterworms are okay as semi-staples, not being as bad as the other two, but still don't quite have what it takes to be a staple.  Waxworms are very high in fat, they are like Bearded Dragon candy, and should be given accordingly. 

Salad

A good salad should consist mostly of dark leafy greens and vegetables.  Good greens include Collard Greens, Turnip Greens, and Mustard Greens.  You should aim for 2-3 types of Greens and 2-3 types of vegetables in the salad, with as much variety as possible being ideal.  Fruit may be offered one or two times a week.  Cut the salad ingredients into bite-sized pieces by hand or with a food processor before offering it to your Bearded Dragon. 

Please look at this site for what you can feed your Bearded Dragon, and how often certain foods can be fed, as well as some info on nutrition and how certain vitamins etc. effect your Bearded Dragon:
Beautiful Dragon's Nutrition Content page

To get your Bearded Dragon to eat salad, make sure that they are exposed to it as early as possible.  Add bright things, like red and yellow in it.  Experiment with flavors.  A great trick is to put in worms among the salad, and when the Bearded Dragon goes for the worms it will pick up a big gulp of salad as well, and hopefully figure out that the salad isn't half bad. 

Picture
© Jamie Duke

Supplementation A.K.A. 'Dusting'


Bearded Dragons should have a multivitamin and a calcium supplement added to their food.

Give the calcium supplement five times a week and the multivitamin supplement twice a week for Bearded Dragons below a year old. For Bearded Dragons older than a year, feed both twice a week.

Note: Crickets and other feeders that jump around and lose the coating of vitamin and calcium aren't good candidates for dusting.  Dust the salad instead, so you're Dragon will actually eat some of the supplements. Worms usually have the coating of dusting intact when eaten, so they are a more realistic option for dusting.

Supplements that have Calcium and Vitamins in one aren't a good idea.  It's best if the two aren't mixed until they are put on the salad/feeder insects. 
Calcium supplements should not have any phosphorous in them. Having phosphorous in them defeats the purpose of giving a calcium supplement in the first place, because phosphorous binds calcium.  The Multi-Vitamin should have Beta Carotene rather than vitamin A in it.  Repcal calcium and Herptivite multivitamin are good supplements, widely considered the best on the market.  Please research your choice before purchasing a supplement. Some can cause dehydration, etc.

Commercial Bearded Dragon Food

Currently consensus is that they are a good supplement, but are not truly adequate for making up the entirety of a Bearded Dragons diet. 

It has  been shown that reptiles raised purely on Commercial Diets are doing poorly compared to those raised with their typical salad and feeder insect based diets.  A reptile's growth when fed purely commercial pet food, for example, is quite poor compared to one given  salad, even if the salad consists purely of things such as Romaine lettuce that are not particularly high in nutrition.

These are, however, acceptable as one ingredient among many in a daily salad.

Water


Although Bearded Dragons come from a dry environment, they still need water. You can give them water in several different ways: 

--Mist them about 2-4 times a day.  To mist, get a garden-variety water bottle and set it to the lightest/mist setting.  Then gently mist above your Bearded Dragon so that the water falls down on him like a gentle rain.  This allows your Bearded Dragon to lap up the falling/fallen water.   
--Drip water on their nose till they’re done (this is also great for bonding). 
--Give them daily baths or you can use another method for daily water and give them baths occasionally.  To give baths, fill either a large container, a sink, or a bath tub with warm water, about the same temperature you'd use for a baby, up to the 'elbows' for younger Bearded Dragons and up to the shoulders for adults.  You may want to put a cloth on the bottom for traction, this will also greatly comfort Bearded Dragons who are nervous about baths.  Then just gently splash the water over them and let them soak for 10-15 minutes.  If they have feces or something caked on, use a soft-bristled tooth brush to get it off.  Dry them off thoroughly after their bath. 
--Some Bearded Dragons will drink from water bowls, but most don’t recognize standing water as drinkable. Don’t assume that because you have a water bowl in there means they are getting water.  But just because a Bearded Dragon doesn't naturally recognize standing water doesn't mean you have to give up on their drinking from a water bowl.  You can train a Bearded Dragon to drink from a water bowl with very little difficulty. 

Video - made by rockmania27, used with permission.  Shows how to train a Beardie  to drink from a water bowl.
Many Bearded Dragons like to lay in their water bowls and soak.  Soaking in this way helps a Bearded Dragon digest, and unlike drinking from water bowls soaking in them comes naturally.  Ideally, a water bowl should be fairly large so it can be useful in this way, about the size of a container used for frozen dinners.  In fact, an actual frozen dinner container, thoroughly cleaned, makes a great water bowl. 

Pinkies - For Experienced Keepers Only


Pinkie- a baby mouse, completely furless and only a couple of days old.

Do NOT feed baby rats, and do NOT feed baby mice with even a hint of fuzz on them. Once they have fuzz, it means their bones are no longer made of cartilage, and therefore the risk of impaction is very, very high indeed.

The maximum number of Pinkies that should be fed are one every 2 weeks (feeding too many Pinkies can cause fatty liver disease).  Protein should be cut back for a week after feeding the Pinkie. 

Generally, Pinkies should only be fed to females that are both gravid (pregnant) and healthy, if ever. 

Some keepers are tempted to fatten up Bearded Dragons with Pinkies. This is not a healthy thing to do to your pet. If you want to fatten them up, use lots of silkworms and high starch food. Thin Bearded Dragons will have trouble digesting Pinkies.

Pinkies are high in nutrients and fat.

Things that are Poisonous To Bearded Dragons

  • Lightning Bugs/Fireflies
  • Rhubarb
  • Avocado

For a more complete list, check: Melissa Kaplan's "Plant Listings"


Signs a Reptile has been poisoned: Melissa Kaplan's "Signs of Ingestion of Toxic Substances"

Akeath2@yahoo.com