How many crickets should you feed a baby bearded dragon

How Many Crickets To Feed A Bearded Dragon (Baby-Adult)

Knowing how many crickets to feed a bearded dragon is incredibly important if you plan on owning one as a pet. Crickets will be a major part of their diet, so you need to be familiar with the right quantity!

But it’s a little trickier than you might think.

The number of crickets you should feed your bearded dragon will change over time. Their needs as a baby, juvenile, and adult are all different!

Luckily, we’ve covered everything in this guide.

How Many Crickets Should You Feed A Baby Bearded Dragon?
How Many Crickets Should You Feed An Adult?
1. How Large Should The Crickets Be?
What About Juveniles?
How Age Impacts How Many Crickets They Eat
The Importance Of Feeding Them Living Crickets
Why Crickets Are Such An Important Part Of Their Diet
Some Things To Be Aware Of
Wrapping Up

How Many Crickets Should You Feed A Baby Bearded Dragon?

From birth until 3 months of age, your bearded dragon is considered a baby. Just like babies in other species, baby bearded dragons will need more frequent feedings throughout the day in order to maintain their health, maximize their lifespan, and grow big and strong.

It’s important to allow your baby dragon to take in as many crickets as it can during each feeding session.

There should be 5 separate feeding sessions per day that last about 5 to 10 minutes. Never force your dragon to eat, and do have enough crickets on hand before you begin.

If you want to get really fancy you can estimate the number of crickets by referencing feeding charts that factor in age, size, health, and so forth.

To provide a general range, baby bearded dragons may eat between 25 and 80 crickets in just one day. As these lizards continue to grow, they’ll need fewer crickets and will begin to transition to more greens in their diet later.

How Many Crickets Should You Feed An Adult?

If you’re a bearded dragon owner, you’ll need to know how many crickets to feed your little reptile friend! With crickets being such an important part of their diet (more on that later), it’s one of the most important foods to understand.

Adult bearded dragons should eat a diet of 80% greens and 20% proteins. And when they’re younger, these lizards should get most of their protein from insects (with most of this coming from live crickets).

Bearded dragon owners should offer full-grown adult bearded dragons roughly 10 crickets per day, or 20 crickets every other day. The crickets should be offered in one feeding session per day that lasts between 10 and 15 minutes.

There are some criteria to consider when determining what, when, and how long an owner should let their bearded friends chow down on crunchy crickets. These important factors to consider include:

The age of the beardie
Their overall health
Whether a female bearded dragon is gravid or not
The source of the live crickets
Whether greens or other proteins like Dubia roaches or worms are being consumed as well

Bearded dragons should be allowed to eat as much as they desire during each feeding session especially when very young. Gradually, the 5 times a day feedings of baby bearded dragons will be cut back some to about 2 to 3 feedings per day as the beardies become juveniles roughly at 3 to 8 months of age.

Eventually, these reptiles will develop into full-grown adults that will eat significantly less than before. That’s because they’re pretty much done growing once they hit about 18 months of age.

Expert Tip: Some bearded dragon experts feed their pets crickets every other day or every third day after the dragons become adults. This is where things become more situational based on your understanding of their appetite.

How Large Should The Crickets Be?

Unlike a dog, bearded dragons will not overeat even if you leave out enough food to last the entire day. Interestingly enough, the cricket’s size that you feed your baby bearded friend should be smaller than the crickets that a fully grown dragon should be eating.

This makes feeding them quite easy!

Expert Tip: Even though a bearded dragon is unlikely to overeat, they’ll still have trouble is they ingest crickets that are too large for them to safely eat. This is because the sharp structures that make of the body of the cricket can become stuck inside the beardie, causing painful impaction of the digestive tract that may result in serious internal problems.

A good rule of thumb is to only use crickets that are no bigger than the space measurement between a bearded dragon’s eyes. Following this rule makes it easy to keep your pet lizard out of harm’s way!

What About Juveniles?

When bearded dragons are between 3 months and 8 months of age, they are usually considered a juvenile. During this time, your dragon will continue to grow in a rapid fashion (although it will be a bit slower than their first 3 months of growth).

When your beardie becomes a juvenile, it’s important to continue feeding them crickets for protein. However, you’ll want to drop the number of feeding sessions down to 3 times a day.

Expert Tip: This equates to around 25 to 50 crickets each day. Continue to allow them to eat as much as they want during each feeding, and keep each feeding session roughly 5 to 10 minutes long.

After your juvenile bearded dragon reaches about 9 months of age, they are considered to be older juveniles (but not yet adults). Some pet owners jokingly refer to their dragons as teenagers at this age!

When your beardie reaches this age range, drop the cricket feeding times down to 2 times a day rather than 3. As they approach the age of 14 months, you’ll begin to introduce more greens into the pet’s diet.

This will begin the transitional period of increasing the number of greens compared to how many crickets they eat. You’ll continue this until they have reached a standard adult diet. Remember that adult bearded dragons should eat 80% of their diet as greens and only 20% of their diet should be proteins like crickets or roaches.

How Age Impacts How Many Crickets They Eat

Owners of bearded dragons should have a basic idea of how many crickets to feed their little pets as they grow older.

As we mentioned earlier, it’s best to not limit how many crickets they eat especially when they’re considered babies (in their first three months of life). Bearded dragons will not overeat, so it is not necessary (and can actually be dangerous) to try to force them to eat more or less than they seem to want.

As your favorite reptilian friend becomes older, the number of cricket feedings per day will gradually decrease. After about 14 months of age, shorten the twice-daily feeding sessions in time. For example, at 13 to 14 months, give your bearded just 5 minutes to eat rather than the 10 minutes they were given earlier.

The Importance Of Feeding Them Living Crickets

Individuals wanting to own a bearded dragon should take the time to understand the need for live crickets rather than dead insects.

In short, never feed your bearded dragon dead crickets or other dead insects. This also means it’s important to avoid leaving any uneaten portions of the crickets inside of your beardie’s tank when the feeding session is complete.

Reptiles, including bearded dragons, will naturally want to eat some dead crickets depending on how much the insect body has decomposed in the elements. The problem is your beardie could become very ill if they eat crickets that have begun decomposing.

The easy way to avoid this is by never leaving dead crickets inside your bearded dragon’s habitat. That will prevent this serious issue from occurring in the first place.

Also, remove any uneaten greens, as they too will begin to wilt and become contaminated with bacteria or mold that can harm your pet’s health and make the dragon sick and unhappy. Treat this as an extension of your normal spot-cleaning duties as an owner!

Why Crickets Are Such An Important Part Of Their Diet

In the wild, bearded dragons spend their day hunting for hopping insects like crickets. Crickets tend to capture the interest of nearby beardies when they hop from one spot to another (they aren’t very stealthy).

Like other predators, your bearded dragon will enjoy chasing, stalking, and chowing down on their cricket prey. Crickets are not only a healthy source of protein, but they’re also a great source of enrichment for bearded dragons in captivity. Chasing them around gives your reptile enough exercise to remain in good health.

Expert Tip: Crickets, like some other insects, have the potential to carry harmful parasites that could infect your pet lizard. This is why it’s so important to purchase your crickets from a reliable and trustworthy seller.

What’s interesting is that insects like Dubia roaches are actually less likely to carry parasites, are cleaner than crickets, and contain more protein in a smaller portion.

So why the love for crickets?

The answer is simple: bearded dragon owners often prefer crickets as they are more readily available and tend to be less expensive than other types of protein-heavy food options. In general, crickets are a safe bet for bearded dragons as long as the owner is aware of the slight risks for parasite related issues.

You can also increase how much nutrition your bearded dragon gets when they eat crickets by gently dusting these insects with powdered minerals like calcium and vitamins before feeding time.

There are a number of other protein food choices for bearded dragons as well. These include certain super worms that offer quite a lot of nutritional value. These can be good to include if you want to bring a little extra variety into their diet.

But at the end of the day owners will save significantly more money by choosing crickets as a primary protein source in their diet. To make things even better, crickets typically contain a lower amount of fat than other dietary protein sources for bearded dragons including most common worms fed to reptiles.

Some Things To Be Aware Of

Crickets sometimes sing all night, so bearded dragon owners may want to consider where the reptile tank is located (especially at night). This is something that many new owners don’t consider!

Always consult with a vet if your bearded dragon seems to be uncomfortable, sick, or is refusing to eat. This can prevent further harm from coming to your pet if your bearded dragon has become impacted by larger cricket pieces (additional feeding will only make things worse). A vet with bearded dragon experience can be invaluable resources when needing dietary advice or illness prevention tips regarding your dragon.

All in all, once you know what to expect when it comes to feeding crickets to your bearded dragon crickets, both you and your pet should enjoy each other’s company for quite a long time!.

Wrapping Up

Once you know how many crickets to feed a bearded dragon at each stage of their life, everything becomes quite easy.

Simply understanding how their needs shift as they age will make you a more informed owner, and allow you to provide better care to your beardie. This not only goes for cricket feeding, but for everything else too!

If you’re a newer owner simply stick with the recommendations we listed in this guide. All you have to do is keep things simple, and you’ll do just fine.

How Many Crickets Can A Bearded Dragon Have?

How many crickets you feed your bearded dragon will depend mainly on your beardie’s age.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

How many crickets do I feed a baby, juvenile, and adult bearded dragon?
What are the benefits of feeding crickets to bearded dragons?
What are the reasons you should not feed beardies crickets?

Crickets are a staple live food item for many bearded dragons as pets. They provide a good source of protein especially during the growth phase of beardies until they are about 17 or 18 months old. They are also a reliable food source that can be easily found at most pet stores and online at affordable prices. Live crickets also provide a good source of activity for your beardies as their predatory instincts will kick in and they will actively chase or hunt their food.

Though they are a staple part of a dragon’s meal, there are guidelines on how many you should be feeding your beardie as part of a well-balanced and healthy diet that depends on their age and nutritional needs. The cricket’s size should also be taken into consideration to prevent any feeding or digestion issues.

Important

Do not leave crickets in your bearded dragon enclosure. Crickets are for feeding only. Crickets that are not eaten should be removed.

What's In This Guide?

How Many Crickets Should You Feed Your Bearded Dragon?

Baby bearded dragons can be fed anywhere between 25-80 crickets per day, juvenile dragons will eat about 25-60 crickets per day, and adults can be fed about 10-20 crickets per day.

The number of crickets you should feed your bearded dragon depends on its age and activity levels. Babies and juveniles will need to eat more crickets to aid with their growth while adults will transition to a more varied diet with greens, vegetables, and less crickets (or insects).

Bearded dragons will stop eating when they feel full and won’t overeat, unlike dogs or cats. So the number of crickets recommended is usually an estimate. An easier guide to follow would be how frequently you should feed your bearded dragon their crickets per day and how long these feeding sessions should be. A quick guide is given in the table below.

Baby Bearded Dragons

To facilitate healthy growth and development, baby bearded dragons (< 3 months old) should be fed 3-5 times a day. Let them eat as much as they can in 5-10 minute feeding sessions.

Juvenile Bearded Dragons

As juveniles at about 3-12 months, lessen feeding sessions to 2-3 times per day that last about 5-10 minutes long.

Adult Bearded Dragons

As your beardie becomes an adult, you should start to transition it to some greens by lessening the length of your feeding sessions or giving a set number of crickets per session. Adult bearded dragons should eat as many crickets as they like in a 10-15 minute session, once a day (or spaced out during mealtimes).

Bearded Dragon Cricket Feeding Chart

Age	Feeding frequency of crickets	Crickets per feeding	Number of crickets per day*
Baby bearded dragons	Up to 5 times a day	As many as they eat in a 5-10 minute session	25-80
Juvenile bearded dragons	2-3 times a day	As many as they eat in a 5-10 minute session	25-60
Transition stage (9-18 months old)	2 times a day	As many as they eat in a 5-10 minute session but weaning to 5 minute sessions or a set number of crickets per feeding	20-30
Adult bearded dragons	1 feeding per day or a set number of crickets spaced out during mealtimes	As many as they eat in a 10-15 minute session	10

This quick overview highlights a transition period wherein your dragon is still growing and therefore needs more protein but should be weaned off an all cricket diet in preparation to a varied diet with greens and vegetables as adults. Since bearded dragons are omnivores, you will have to transition them into eating greens at about 9 months of age to start getting them used to it. An adult bearded dragon’s diet should be composed of about 80% greens/vegetables and 20% protein.

Should You Feed Crickets To Your Bearded Dragon?

What Kind of Crickets do Bearded Dragons Eat?

There are over 900 species of crickets but the most common feeder insects available for reptiles are:

House crickets or brown crickets (Acheta domestica)
Jamaican crickets (Gryllus assimilis)
Tropical house cricket (Gryllodes sigillatus, also known as banded crickets or Indian house crickets)
Two-spotted cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus, also known as African or Mediterranean Field crickets)

Pro-tip

No matter which type of cricket is available, always get your live feeder insects from reputable breeders to make sure they are virus and parasite free.

Cricket Size Guide

Crickets are also available according to their size (and age). It is important to only feed your bearded dragon crickets that are smaller than the space between their eyes to avoid any feeding, digestion, or impaction issues. Crickets are available as:

Cricket Size	Description	Recommended for
Pinhead crickets	Small, wingless, 2-day old crickets about 0.04 inches in size (the size of a regular pinhead)	Hatchlings and baby bearded dragons
Small crickets	A bit larger than pinheads, 5 days old, 1/8“ long, soft bodied	Older baby beardies and juveniles
Medium crickets	3 – 3 1/2 weeks old, 1/2“ to 5/8“ long, depending on breed, most commonly available	Juveniles and adults
Large crickets	Adult crickets about 5 weeks old and 1-1. 5 inches long, depending on breed, harder and coarser exoskeleton that is harder to digest	Not normally used as feeder insects; more useful as bait

What Are The Benefits?

Crickets have good nutritional content especially iron, protein, and calcium which is great for bearded dragons especially when they are growing. They have softer exoskeletons (when young) compared with dubia roaches or other cockroaches so they are perfect feeders even for baby beardies.

Crickets also gut load very effectively so it’s easier to provide your bearded dragon with its essential nutrients and vitamins such as calcium and vitamin D3 by feeding the crickets these supplements a day before your dragon’s feeding session.

House crickets are composed of the following below and have 40.7 mg calcium and 295 mg phosphorus per 100 grams.

Moisture 69.2%

Protein 20.5%

Fats 6.8%

Fiber 2. 2%

Crickets also provide a great feeding response from bearded dragons since they activate their predatory instincts and hunt the crickets. This provides a great stimulating activity for your bearded dragon and you’ll be surprised at how fast they can actually move!

Crickets are also easily obtained from most pet stores and online and are an affordable food source for bearded dragons and reptiles alike.

Are There Any Reasons NOT To Feed Crickets?

There are some reasons that may get you to rethink using crickets as live feeders for your bearded dragon but these are certainly not deal breakers.

For your bearded dragon, crickets are not as nutritionally dense as dubia roaches and are also smaller. This means that your dragon will have to eat more crickets to get the equivalent nutritional value of one dubia roach. This really isn’t a problem unless you have an extremely picky bearded dragon or one that has lost its appetite for some reason.

Crickets, like any other live feeder insects can harbor parasites which can affect your bearded dragon. This is why it’s very important to get your crickets from a very reputable source. Also, never feed your dragon any insect you catch from the wild for the same reason.

Crickets can also attack smaller bearded dragons if left in the enclosure for too long and this can stress your bearded dragon out. Make sure you clear out all uneaten food from your dragon’s tank after feeding sessions.

Crickets can be quite noisy and can develop a foul odor. They can also quickly escape and jump away. The noise can also affect reptiles so make sure your cricket bin is far from your pet’s enclosure.

Pro-tip

Don’t buy crickets in large amounts especially when you have a small bearded dragon as they can grow into a size that your beardie cannot eat. Also, crickets will develop a smell over time so buy only enough crickets that your dragon can consume in about a week or two.

How To Feed Crickets To A Baby Bearded Dragon

Baby bearded dragons, from 0-2 or 3 months (9-11 inches length), will need frequent feedings of a high protein diet such as crickets to help with their rapid growth rates. Crickets provide a good protein source to ensure proper nutrition for your growing beardie, helping them grow healthy and preventing developmental diseases such as metabolic bone disease.

How Many?

Feed your baby bearded dragon as many crickets as it will eat in a span of 5-10 minutes. With the recommended feeding frequency of 5 times a day, this roughly translates to almost 60-80 crickets per day.

How Often?

You should feed your baby bearded dragon their crickets at least 3 times up to 5 times a day.

Specific Tips For Baby Bearded Dragons

Feed younger and smaller (1-2 day old) crickets to baby bearded dragons. Since baby beardies will not have a developed bite, they need softer insects for better digestion. Aside from this, baby bearded dragons may not have good hunting skills yet so younger and smaller crickets are better for it. Always remember to only feed insects that are smaller than the space between your bearded dragon’s eyes.

📚 Read More >> How Big Do Bearded Dragons Get?

How To Feed Crickets To Juvenile Bearded Dragons

Juvenile bearded dragons can have lesser feeding sessions per day as they mature into adults. However, as your dragon nears maturity into an adult, between 9-18 months, you should start transitioning into a more varied diet with vegetables and other insects to help it get used to other food items.

How Many?

Juvenile bearded dragons should be fed as many crickets as they can consume in 5-10 minute feeding sessions. With feeding sessions up to 3 times per day, this translates to about 25-60 crickets a day.

Nearing the end of their juvenile stage, as they become adults, you can start giving a set number of crickets per feeding session (less than what your dragon would normally eat) and then start supplementing with some greens and vegetables. You can also introduce other feeder insects such as dubia roaches and worms as a treat.

How Often?

Juvenile bearded dragons should have feeding sessions 2-3 times per day.

Specific Tips For Juvenile Bearded Dragons

Juvenile bearded dragons can eat crickets that are a bit bigger. Just keep in mind never to feed your dragon anything bigger than the space between their eyes.

It’s highly recommended that as your young dragon slows down its growth rate signifying that it is almost a mature adult, you start transitioning it to a more varied diet with vegetables. This will make it easier for you to provide a well balanced diet as your bearded dragon becomes an adult.

Pro-tip

Patience is key when introducing new food to your dragon. Always start slow and observe any changes in their behavior, disposition, and bowel movements.

How To Feed Crickets To Adult Bearded Dragons

Adult beardies need to be fed 80% greens and 20% protein (from insects and/or crickets). They should have lesser cricket feeding sessions per day with longer feeding times.

Vegetables and greens that are great for adult bearded dragons include: collard greens, mustard greens, leafy greens, kale, dandelion, carrots, and many other greens and vegetables. Fruits can also be introduced as treats.

How Many?

Adult bearded dragons should be fed as much as they can eat in 10-15 minute feeding sessions. This translates to about 10 crickets per day or 20 crickets every other day depending on your feeding scheme.

How Often?

You should feed your adult beardie crickets once a day or a set number of crickets spaced out during meal times (example: 5 crickets per feeding session, 2x a day).

Specific Tips For Adult Bearded Dragons

Adult bearded dragons need less protein as they stop growing. Their metabolism will also slow down hence the need to transition to a more varied diet rich in fiber and moisture. Greens and vegetables are a great source of nutrients for your adult dragon. Make sure your adult beardie eats a nice salad every day to help maintain its good health.

Top Tips For Cricket Feeding

1. Prevent Impaction

Prevent feeding and digestion issues that may lead to impaction by making sure you use the correct cricket size depending on how big or how old your bearded dragon is. Babies and younger dragons should eat smaller and younger crickets.

In general, the maximum cricket size you should feed your adult dragon should be medium crickets that are about 3 to 3 ½ weeks old (1/2“ to 5/8“ long). These are crickets that still have soft exoskeletons for better digestion. Crickets that are 5 weeks old already have tougher exoskeletons that are harder to digest.

If you use the correct cricket size, you won’t have to worry about their legs (that may have sharp spines) too much but it pays to check now and then to make sure your dragon is safe from impaction risks.

A good way to prevent impaction is alternating your feeder insects (with mealworms, superworms, or roaches) to make sure you don’t feed just one type too much to your beardie. Another is to keep your bearded dragon well hydrated by providing a clean water bowl and giving it regular baths.

📚 Read More >> Bearded Dragon Superworm Feeding Guide

2. Monitor Changes in Behavior or Eating Habits

Crickets are considered safe feeder insects but it is always good practice to monitor any changes in your dragon’s behavior or eating habits to check for any digestion issues. It’s good to monitor their bowel movements as well. Crickets tend to bite bearded dragons if they’re left in the enclosure too long so make sure you clear out all uneaten food after your feeding sessions.

Make sure you provide the correct heating and lighting requirements in your bearded dragon’s enclosure to help with their digestion and metabolism.

3. Using Live Crickets

Live crickets are a great way to entice activity for your bearded dragon during feeding sessions. They will try to hunt the crickets making feeding time a stimulating activity as well.

You can use feeding tongs to place crickets in your dragon’s enclosure. Try to place just a couple or a few at a time so as not to overwhelm your dragon. This will also make it easier for you to keep track of any crickets that may end up hiding in the tank and disturbing your beardie later on. It’s also good bonding time for your and your bearded dragon.

4. Picking the Correct Size

With any insect feeders such as crickets, you should always pay attention to the size you are feeding your bearded dragon. Especially if you have a baby or juvenile bearded dragon with a developing jaw and digestive system.

A general rule is to never feed your dragon anything bigger than the space/length between its eyes. You can buy pinhead crickets from pet stores that are perfect for baby bearded dragons. Medium sized crickets are commonly offered in pet stores as well and are usually the perfect size for juveniles and adults.

5. Clearing Out Uneaten Crickets

It’s best practice to always clear out uneaten food from your bearded dragon’s enclosure after feeding times. This ensures cleanliness and makes sure any uneaten crickets will not disturb or attack your bearded dragon after. The noise these crickets make can also cause your beardie some stress so it’s best to clear them out and keep your cricket bin far from the beardie’s enclosure.

6. Gut Loading and Dusting

Crickets are easily gut loaded with supplements such as vitamin D3, calcium, and other multivitamins to provide your bearded dragon the essential nutrients and minerals needed for its good health. Gut loading is done by feeding your crickets these vitamins a day before your dragon’s feeding sessions. Make sure you don’t go beyond 24 hours after gut loading to feeding your dragon since a cricket’s metabolism is quite fast. After 24 hours, the supplements will have passed through their digestive system making them nutritionally useless for your beardie.

As an alternative, crickets can also be dusted with calcium supplement powders with vitamin D3. Place your crickets in a baggie or a small plastic container, add enough calcium powder to lightly dust your crickets, and give the container a light shake to coat them. Crickets can be dusted right before feeding sessions.

How To Breed Your Own Crickets At Home

FAQs

How many crickets should I feed my small bearded dragon?

Small or baby bearded dragons (about 9-11 inches in length) should be fed as much crickets as they will eat in a 5-10 minute feeding session up to 5 times a day (at least 3). This roughly translates to about 25-80 crickets per day. Bearded dragons will usually stop eating when they are full. Make sure to clear out any uneaten food after each session.

How many crickets should a 4-month old bearded dragon eat?

A 4-month old or juvenile bearded dragon should eat as much as they can in 5-10 minute feeding sessions about 2-3 times a day. This translates to about 25-60 crickets per day.

Is it safe to feed crickets to a bearded dragon?

Yes, it is safe to feed crickets to a bearded dragon as long as you don’t feed it a cricket bigger than the space between its eyes to prevent any feeding or digestion issues that could lead to impaction.

Can you feed a bearded dragon dead crickets?

Yes and no. Yes, you can feed a bearded dragon purposely dead crickets (freeze dried, frozen, or canned crickets). These are a bit more convenient if you do not want to handle live crickets. However, your dragon may not recognize them as food right away so you have to get creative during feeding sessions to show it its food.

Crickets found dead in a box of live ones or any dead bugs you may find elsewhere should never be fed to your dragon. For one, you are unsure of the cause of death and it could be a sickness or a parasite that could affect your dragon.

Dead crickets are also harder to digest since they may have begun to dry out and lose their moisture. They can also harbor bacteria as they start to decompose. Separate and discard any dead crickets you find in your live feeder bin to be safe.

Conclusion

Crickets are a great staple insect feeder for reptiles like bearded dragons. They are readily available from almost all pet stores (online and physical ones) and are very affordable. They also have good nutritional value and are easy to feed to bearded dragons. Just make sure your crickets are the correct size for your bearded dragon to eat and are sourced from reputable breeders and you’re good to go!

Further Reading

Forums on crickets and other insect feeders:
Pooping out non-digested crickets
Young beardie refusing to eat crickets + other tips

Comprehensive list of plants that reptiles can eat:
Edible Plants List

An article tackling some feeding myths found online:
Fact Vs. Fiction on food for herbivorous reptiles

Informative article on powdered crickets (for consumption):
Nutritional value, protein and peptide composition of edible cricket powders

Informative article on the nutritional value of the field cricket:
(PDF) Nutritional value of the field cricket (Gryllus testaceus Walker)

Cricket Biology guide from Fluker’s:
Fluker’s Cricket Biology Guide

Bearded dragon - description, care, feeding, maintenance and breeding at home

Bearded dragon is an obedient and easy-to-care pet. These lizards have been kept at home for over 30 years. The natural color is dominated by yellowish, gray or brown tones. The color may change depending on the temperature and condition of the animal. Now you can buy a variety of bred morphs, which makes this species attractive for both beginners and advanced amateurs.

The size of an adult individual can reach 40-60 cm. The body has a flattened ellipsoidal shape. On the body, mainly on the sides, there are scales in the form of prickly spikes. The head has a triangular shape and is framed by spines.

The lizard lives in arid deserts and semi-deserts of Australia. Leads an active daily life on the ground, sometimes climbing onto stones and branches of low trees. He uses burrows of other animals, piles of stones, crevices at the roots of trees and bushes as shelters. nine0003

For adults, a 90x45x45 cm terrarium is suitable, for young dragons you can use a smaller 60x45x30 cm terrarium. when the animal reaches 1 year.

Temperature is the most important parameter for keeping a bearded dragon at home. Only with the right temperature regime the animal will be able to fully digest food, develop and grow normally. The lizard's metabolism depends entirely on the correct temperature gradient, which is created by special lamps. nine0003

During the day the temperature should be 25-30 °C in the "cool zone" and 38-50 °C in the warm zone "under the sun".
For heating, a powerful directional heat and light lamp is installed, which is recommended for use in a luminaire with a bracket. You can raise and lower the lamp depending on what temperature is required in the terrarium.

Night temperatures can drop to 22°C.
Supplementary heating - eg heat cable, terrarium thermomat, ceramic heater, infrared lamps - may be required if the temperature falls below the recommended range. nine0003

Use Desert Sand or Stone Desert as a substrate. It is necessary to install strong snags, stones on which it is convenient for animals to climb, shelters and a small drinking bowl with water in the terrarium.

Several daylight lamps (Natural Light and Reptile Vision) and lamps with strong UV radiation (UVB150-200) are installed in the terrarium for lighting.

Daylight hours for the bearded dragon is 12-14 hours.

Terrarium humidity is not supported. Caring for a bearded dragon consists of bathing. A lizard under the age of 3 months should be bathed once a week in a basin with water at 30 ° C, 2-3 cm deep. From 3-6 months, you can bathe once every 2 weeks. From 6-12 months, 1 time per month is enough. nine0003

Only use the terrarium with a proven ventilation system that promotes good air exchange and prevents the windows from fogging up.

Bearded dragons have a diet of insects, greens, vegetables and fruits. The diet of an animal up to a year old should consist of 70% insects and 30% plant foods. As the lizards get older, the ratio should change to about 70% plant foods and 30% insects.

Approximate feeding schedule
1-6 months - ~10 crickets every day. nine0013 6-12 months - every other day ~10 crickets or 1-3 locusts.
12 months and older - 2-3 times a week for ~10 crickets or 5-8 locusts.

The numbers of insects given are approximate and may not correspond to the needs of a particular animal. Focus on your pet's appetite. You can also use frozen insects or Repashy special food as food.

Before feeding insects, pollinate with calcium and vitamins. Plant foods can be offered every day. You can feed all kinds of salads, various vegetables and fruits. nine0003

Eliminate all types of cabbage, tomatoes, citrus fruits and other acidic vegetables, fruits and berries.

In summer you can give dandelions, clover, knotweed, other weeds. Feed the animal in the morning and afternoon hours, but not at night. Animals under one year old should not be limited in feeding.

The Bearded Dragon should always have access to fresh drinking water.

Bearded dragons become sexually mature, ready for breeding by the age of two. This is an oviparous species. After mating, after 45-65 days, females lay eggs. To do this, they need to dig a hole with a depth of at least 40 cm. The number of eggs in a clutch is from 9up to 25 pieces. After 55-90 days, babies hatch from the eggs.

With proper maintenance and care in your home, the bearded dragon will live up to 12-14 years.

Bearded dragons are very territorial, so males should never be placed together. These lizards should be kept singly or in groups where there is a male and several females.

Like any other animal, the bearded dragon can get sick. Of course, if all the rules are followed, the risk of disease is minimized. If you suspect any disease, call our store and we will advise you. nine0003

Signs of illness:

lethargy,
lack of appetite for a long time,
problematic molt.

Bearded dragons get used to human contact very quickly. When the animal understands that there is no danger, it ceases to be afraid and will come out on its own. For the purpose of taming, it is necessary to feed the agama from your hands, take it out of the terrarium for some time and hold it in your hands, stroke it on the back. If she does not experience stress outside the terrarium, you can let her walk around the room, after closing the windows and locking other pets in separate rooms. The lizard should be outside the terrarium only under supervision. nine0003

On our site there are many photos of bearded dragons, as well as a video, after watching which you will get acquainted with the habits of a reptile.

Panteric only supplies healthy animals. Our consultants help with the choice of everything you need for terrarium equipment, answer all your questions, and give important tips on care and breeding. For the time of departure, you can leave your pet in our hotel, which will be monitored by experienced veterinarians.

Keeping and feeding bearded dragons

Keeping bearded dragons
Feeding the Bearded Dragon

The Bearded Dragon is a stunningly beautiful reptile that is great for keeping in a city apartment, communicates well with people and can become a real pet.

In the wild, these lizards live in the deserts of Australia. Almost all agamas that can now be bought are bred in captivity. The average life span of bearded dragons in captivity is 10-15 years.

Bearded dragon keeping

Before you bring the agama home, prepare a place for her. Of course, like any reptile, dragons are cold-blooded animals, so they should be kept in a terrarium. For agamas, it is better to purchase a horizontal glass terrarium, the optimal size is 180 cm wide, 50 deep and 50 high. The terrarium must be closed with a lid so that the lizard does not escape.

Since bearded dragons are hermits, they need a humidity level of 30-40%. The temperature in the terrarium should be at the level of 26-29gr. C, temperature under the heating lamp 36-38gr. C. For this, you can use incandescent lamps or ceramic lamps, you need to hang them at a distance of 45 cm from the place of heating, so that the agama cannot get burned. To monitor the temperature, you need to attach a thermometer to the wall of the terrarium, and you can also use a thermostat.

An ultraviolet lamp must be lit along with the heating lamp throughout the day. Reptiles require UV A and B spectrum lamps. These lamps are available from terrarium and aquarium stores. Day mode: 14 hours - daylight hours, 10 hours - night time. nine0003

Sand and pebbles at least 10 mm in diameter are most often used as soil. Sand is poured in a layer of 10 cm, so that, if desired, the lizard can burrow into the ground. There are also ready-made terrarium mats that are sold in pet stores (not rubber mats).

The terrarium should be equipped with branches (without bark), rocks (from the pet store) and a shelter where the dragon can hide if desired. It is better not to put artificial and live plants in the terrarium, as the agama will eat them. nine0003

To improve life processes (prevention of diseases, help with molting), the agama can be bathed in a small bath, so that the head is always on top, with a water temperature of 29-32 gr. C. This procedure should be done 1-2 times a week.

General cleaning in the terrarium is enough to carry out once a month (wash the entire terrarium, equipment, change or clean the soil). Food and faeces should be removed as soon as they appear.

Bearded dragon feeding

In the terrarium, you can put a container with water to maintain an optimal level of humidity, a drinker, but not all lizards drink from it. You can spray the agama once a day, and she will lick the droplets from her body, or give moistened greens.

Bearded dragons are omnivorous lizards. In nature, they eat everything from leaves and stems to small mice and chicks. Therefore, at home, it is quite easy for them to choose the right diet.

For plant food, leafy vegetables (Chinese cabbage, lettuce, spinach), vegetables (carrots, green beans, peas, peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant), fruits (pitted apples, bananas, grapes in small quantities) are suitable for them. , juicy green food (dandelion, clover, wheat leaves, germinated oats). nine0003

Animal feed suitable for mealworm, zoophobus, crickets, cockroaches and newborn mice. All these "products" can be bought at the pet store. For feeding worms, you need a bowl with high edges so that they cannot crawl out and burrow into the ground. It is better to feed crickets and cockroaches in a separate small terrarium or a plastic jig, a basin is not suitable for this, as crickets can jump out. You can also feed insects with tweezers. You just need to do it carefully so that the agama does not bite on the tweezers themselves, otherwise it can break its face. nine0003

Ready-made food for lizards and vitamin-mineral complexes for reptiles can be added to these feeds as top dressing. In Russia, such drugs as Reptilife (Agrovetzashchita), Reptolife (Tetra), Wordley (Calcium and Multivitamin) are common.

Young bearded dragons (up to 5 months old) should be fed 3 times a day so that animal food makes up more than half, and vegetable food less. "Teenagers" can be fed once a day, adult agamas (after 18 months) should be fed every other day so that they have less than half of animal food, and more vegetable food.