How often do you feed baby bearded dragons

How Often to Feed a Bearded Dragon (Diet by Age Guide)

If you’re a first-time owner, understanding how to properly feed your bearded dragon can feel somewhat like rocket science!

From figuring out what veggies and insects to feed them, to how often feed a bearded dragon at any age, to even understanding how to use vitamins and supplements… let’s all agree that getting started with a bearded dragon definitely requires doing some research!

It is my hope that no matter how old your bearded dragon is… that this post will answer any question you have in regard to not only how often to feed them, but also what to feed them as well.

The bearded dragon feeding chart by age below is a handy guide to help you remember important information. But there’s a lot of information we couldn’t squeeze into it, so be sure to keep reading!

In This Article

How Often Do

Adult Bearded Dragons Eat?

Adult bearded dragons, or those older than 18 months, will need to be fed just once a day every day. Now, if you miss a day here and there it will by no means be the end of the world. But, you really should strive to feed your bearded dragon once daily.

How Many Crickets to Feed an Adult Bearded Dragon

An adult bearded dragon will be one that has reached full sexual maturity. This typically happens around 18 months of age. It is at this point that their diet should consist of only around 20% protein, with the rest being that of a fresh salad.

Healthy adult bearded dragons should eat around 10 crickets per day OR 20 crickets every other day.

How Many Mealworms to Feed a Bearded Dragon

Although many vets or inexperienced owners will advocate for mealworms… they’re actually NOT that great for your beardie.

Mealworms are comprised of a VERY hard chitlin exoskeleton which is difficult on a bearded dragon’s digestive track. Mealworms have been known to lead to such issues as impaction. On top of this, they also contain very little nutritional value. Bottom line? Choose a different feeder like crickets, Dubias, or Super Worms.

How Many Super Worms to Feed a Bearded Dragon

Since super worms are so rich in protein, you won’t need to overload your bearded dragon with them. As such, you should aim to be feeding your adult bearded dragon around 7 to 10 super worms on an every other day basis.

How Often Do Baby Bearded Dragons Need to Eat?

Much like a human baby, baby bearded dragons NEED to eat multiple times a day. For babies under 3 months, aim to feed them 5 times a day.

Babies 3-6 months should be fed 3-4 times a day, while those six months old should be fed 3 times a day, working their way down to 2 times a day as they approach a year of age.

On a personal note, I remember many moons ago having my first bearded dragon how lost I was! Having been new to reptiles at the time, I simply assumed my baby only needed to eat like twice a day… Boy was I WRONG!

Fortunately, it wasn’t long until I noticed her growth stall that I realized my poor girl needed to E-A-T! So, rest assured… if you’ve been underfeeding I TOTALLY get it. As long as you make the necessary adjustments, this is a judgement free zone 😉

✅ PRO TIP: Around 12 months of age, be prepared to start incorporating more veggies into your bearded dragon’s diet. The ratio at this time should be around 70% veggies and 30% protein.

How Many Crickets to Feed a Baby Bearded DragonCrickets, along with dusted calcium AND multi-vitamin supplements are essentially the ONLY staples in any baby bearded dragon’s diet.

A little bit of a hotly debated topic, you’ll get a different answer depending on who you talk to…

While some owners believe babies should be allowed to eat as much as they want in 5-10 minute intervals 3-5 times a day, others believe in capping their total cricket intake at around 50 crickets a day, give or take 10-20.

However, here is what the MAJORITY of owners will recommend…

For babies under 3 months, feed them as many crickets as they’ll eat in 5-10 minute increments 5 times a day. For babies 3 to 12 months old, reduce these feedings to just 4 times a day, then 3 times a day, and eventually 2 times a day by the time they’re 12 months of age.

How Long can a Bearded Dragon Go Without Eat?

Just like with people, this answer will slightly vary depending on the current health of said bearded dragon. I’ve actually already taken the liberty of writing a really comprehensive post discussing this very question, so you should definitely check it out to learn the surprising answer!

Can You Overfeed a Bearded Dragon?

Oh yes! Just like people, bearded dragons can become overweight from an over-indulgent diet. In fact, obesity can become quite a problem in adult bearded dragons and as such, is something no owner should take lightly.

Typically, obesity in adults occurs when the diet is overly rich in yummy things (Read: insects) and deficient in veggies. Funny how that seems to apply no matter the species, eh?

What Can Bearded Dragons Eat Everyday?

In short? GREENS! You should be feeding your bearded dragon that is 12 months of age and older greens EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

However, don’t let uneaten veggies sit around for longer than 20-30 minutes if you can help it. This will prevent things like mold and bacteria from spreading in the tank. Same goes for feeders be they dead or alive.

Do Bearded Dragons Need to Eat Every Day?

While bearded dragons don’t absolutely need to eat every day, you SHOULD feed them every day.

Now, if your bearded dragon has to go a day or so without eating because you’re out of town briefly, they should be fine. Just don’t make this a regular occurrence.

What is the Best Thing to Feed a Bearded Dragon?There truly is NO better, more reliable, and safe source of protein for a bearded dragon than a Dubia Roach!

In terms of protein, there is no better option than Dubia roaches.

In short? Dubias are very easy to digest, are protein-rich, and tend to be safer than crickets which can carry parasites.

You could also feed them Phoenix worms which are so rich in calcium you won’t even need to dust them every time! However, Phoenix worms can be expensive, so just be prepared to splurge…

Crickets are going to be your next best bet after Dubias and Phoenix worms, though they’re definitely not as protein-rich and can be quite dirty if you want to breed them. (Just a head’s up… they can also be quite stinky!)

Although Dubia Roaches and Phoenix Worms pack more protein and tend to be cleaner, there’s NO denying just how easily accessible and cost effective crickets are.

Another feeder that you can feed are mealworms, although they should never be given to a dragon younger than 2 years as their hard chitlin shell is very hard to digest. Because of this, you won’t want to make mealworms your adult bearded dragon’s staple feeder either, but more of an occasional treat.

Truth be told, there are 9 great feeders you can give your bearded dragon for a protein-rich diet… do you know them all?

In terms of the best vegetables… you’re going to want to add dark leafy greens like collard, endive, dandelion, and the like into the bearded dragon diet.

How Many Dubia Roaches to Feed a Bearded Dragon

Baby bearded dragons 3 months old and younger should consume 10-20 Dubias three times a day until they’re 4 months old.

Between 4 and 12 months of age, give them 10-15 Dubias twice daily, working your way down to one feeding by the time they’re one year old.

For an adult bearded dragon that is 18 months and older give them 10-20 Dubias just one to three times a week, depending on their weight.

Now, if your bearded dragon is pregnant or underweight, you will want to boost their protein intake.

If your bearded dragon is pregnant… you’ll ESPECIALLY want to up her calcium intake as well since egg-laying will deplete her calcium store!

The same goes for scrawny or underweight bearded dragons that need to be fattened up!

How Many Crickets to Feed a Baby Bearded Dragon a Day

Now, if you aren’t able to get Dubia roaches for your baby dragon, your next best bet is going to be crickets. A baby 4 months and under should eat between 30 and 60 crickets a day over the course of 3 10 minute feedings.

A baby between the ages of 4 months and a year should eat between 20 and 40 crickets over the course of 2 feedings. Once they’ve reached a year, go down to one feeding a day of 10 to 20 crickets.

✅PRO TIP: You’ll also want to dust the feeders with calcium AND a multivitamin. Dust a baby bearded dragon’s food with calcium 4-5 times a week, no more than once a day and provide a multivitamin 2 to 3 times a week. For healthy adults, dust their food three times a week and offer them a multivitamin just once a week.

What Vegetables CAN Bearded Dragons Eat?Fun Fact: The ONLY thing you can let your bearded dragon indulge in ALL day, EVERY day is a nice, fresh salad!

As your bearded dragon ages, you’ll want to switch them from a protein-heavy diet to one with more veggies. Their adult diet should be 70-80% veggies with the rest being comprised of insects.

The vegetables a bearded dragon can eat include…

collard greens
kale
mustard greens
turnip greens
bell peppers (raw)
butternut squash
carrots
cucumber (peeled)
endive
okra (raw)
spaghetti squash
pumpkin
parsnips

Want a more thorough list? Check out EVERYTHING you can feed your bearded dragon in this comprehensive post!

What Can’t Bearded Dragons Eat?

Luckily, this one is simple: They should NOT eat MOST things. If in doubt it’s not for them. Only feed them the foods on the relatively short and simple list of things you know to be good for them.

Basically, any food that isn’t an approved feeder (crickets, Dubia Roaches, Mealworms, super worms) or an approved vegetable or fruit is not going to work.

Here are just a few examples of foods to NEVER feed a bearded dragon:

Dairy products (cheese, milk, yogurt, ice cream, etc.)
Avocado
Meat (red meat, sea food, poultry, etc.)
Wild caught insects
Spinach
Lettuce (loose leaf and iceberg)
Onion

✅ PRO TIP: In addition to things a bearded dragon should NEVER eat… there’s also quite a few things they can only enjoy on RARE occasions. To ensure you’re not feeding them too much of these types of food, check out our Full Bearded Dragon Diet Guide. We also have a dedicated guide on strawberries, as some owners can have (risky) misconceptions on whether their bearded dragon should eat strawberries.

Wrapping Up how Often to Feed a Bearded Dragon

I sincerely hope by now you have a clear understanding of how often to feed your bearded dragon. As a bearded dragon matures, feeding them becomes extremely easy and low maintenance with just one feeding per day.

And as some last-minute advice… if you’re running short on time in the morning, you can always prep your bearded dragon’s salad in advance. Sometimes I would prepare the salads almost like meal prepping for myself. It really helped cut down on time in the mornings.

How Often To Feed A Bearded Dragon (Feeding Chart)

Are you a new bearded dragon owner looking at their diets?

Do you wonder if you’re feeding your bearded dragon the right way?

Providing a healthy and appropriate diet is essential to having a happy and long-lived dragon.

Part of this is knowing how often to feed a bearded dragon.

Adult Bearded Dragons require feeding once per day. Juvenile Bearded Dragons require feeding twice per day. Baby Bearded Dragons require feeding 3 to 5 times per day. Provide as many insects as your Bearded Dragon will eat for 10 to 15 minutes.

Here’s a quick reference chart:

Age	Ratio	Amount	Frequency
0-3 Months	70% Insects 30% Veg	30-80 insects total per day	3-5 feeding times per day
3-8 Months	70% Insects 30% Veg	30-80 insects total per day	Two feeding times per day
8-12 Months	70% Insects 30% Veg	30-80 insects total per day	One feeding time per day
1 Year +	30% Insects 70% Veg	50 insects total per week	Rotation*

*Rotation – one day salad, one day insects, one day nothing, and repeat

Read on for more details about how often you should feed a bearded dragon.

Table of Contents

How Often To Feed Baby Bearded Dragons

Baby bearded dragons are a whole other animal (pun intended).

These little guys need as much protein as they’ll take in a single 10 to 15-minute feeding session.

In nature, the growth rate of the baby bearded dragon is quite fast.

This is for survival.

They need to get to a size where they can defend themselves and escape predators.

To this end, they eat a lot of protein and high-fat insects to get to the size they need to be.

Baby bearded dragons should be fed between 3-5 times per day.

This may seem like a lot, but keep in mind the food also needs to be a lot smaller.

Over a day and 3-5 feedings, a baby beardy can eat between 30-80 insects, depending on the size of the insects.

A higher protein diet is preferable for a baby dragon.

Their bodies naturally prize mass over nutrition in this stage, so greens aren’t as important.

While exact ratios may vary, we recommend 70% live insects to 30% greens.

Crickets make an excellent feeder insect for this stage.

Note: Any food you give your pet bearded dragon should be smaller than the space between their eyes.

This is true for all beardies but essential for a younger bearded dragon.

Food that is too large can cause impaction in the digestive tract.

If this happens, the impacted food can put pressure on the spinal cord of your pet reptile.

This can result in partial or total paralysis or even death.

How Many Crickets To Feed Baby Bearded Dragons

With crickets being the staple feeder insect in the bearded dragon diet, it is important to understand how to feed them to your growing pet the right way.

The industry standard for healthy baby bearded dragons between 0 and 3 months old is to use a 10 to 15 minutes per feeding window.

The total consumed amount of crickets per day will be between 30 – 80 crickets, and if you average the consumption of crickets out for the week, it usually falls somewhere around 50 daily crickets.

These numbers are good to know to maintain an adequate amount of feeder crickets.

As your baby beardie grows older, they will require fewer feedings.

Between 3 to 8 months old, gradually lower the number of daily feedings to twice per day.

Your bearded dragon will still consume between 30 – 80 crickets daily with the two daily feedings.

During these two stages of your reptile’s life, they will consume 70% insects and 30% vegetables.

So don’t forget about the 30% and ensure you include acceptable greens and salad into their diet.

We’ve written on what type of greens bearded dragons can safely consume further down this post.

How Often To Feed Adult Bearded Dragons

Adult bearded dragons have transitioned out of their high protein diets and now need to eat in a healthy and long-lasting way.

Now the adults need to have a ratio of 70% greens to 30% protein.

Note: The exact ratio varies slightly depending on whom you ask, but all agree adults need between 70% – 80% of their diet to be greens.

As they age, bearded dragons also eat less frequently.

They’ve reached their maximum size, so they don’t need to eat a lot of fats and proteins.

Beardies are also much larger than when they were young, and their food is much larger and more satisfying.

With this in mind, we recommend you feed the bearded dragons on a 3-Day Cycle.

The first day should be a leafy green day.

Feed them one meal of as many greens as possible to eat in 15 minutes.

The second day is protein day.

During this day, you should feed the bearded dragon as many live insects as it will eat.

Ensure the live insects you choose are high in protein, moisture and medium or lower in fat.

Crickets, hornworms, and Dubia roaches, especially, make excellent choices.

High-fat insects like mealworms are more like treats.

They don’t have as much value and should only be eaten a couple at a time.

On the third day, take a break from feeding your pet.

It’ll be just fine.

As with anything, there’s always debate about the exact frequency you feed your pet.

We recommend the 3-Day Cycle for these reasons:

Prevents overeating and obesity
Encourages a balanced diet
Makes it easier to feed your pet their greens because they’re extra hungry
Easy to remember

How Many Crickets To Feed Adult Bearded Dragons

Once your bearded dragon reaches sexual maturity around 12 – 18 months of age, its diet changes quite a bit.

You’ll flip the ratio and feed them a diet of 70% vegetables and 30% insects.

The total amount of crickets an adult bearded dragon will consume in one week will average out to 50 crickets.

Each feeding session will vary and often won’t come out the same, which is fine and normal.

The most significant change to your bearded dragon’s diet at this stage of life is implementing diet rotation.

You will swap them to feedings of all one type of food for the day and a day of nothing.

This looks like day one only insects, day two only vegetables, day three nothing, and repeat.

And some people experience their pets going through phases of not eating their crickets.

If your pet isn’t eating crickets read our post on the causes behind bearded dragon’s not eating crickets since it is a more complex topic, and we have given it its own post.

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How Many Mealworms To Feed Bearded Dragons

Mealworms are a popular choice for feeder worms, but they shouldn’t be.

The mealworm has a hard chitlin exoskeleton making it difficult on the bearded dragon’s digestive tract and poses potential health issues.

Because of the shell of mealworms, your pet may become impacted, leading to other problems and even death.

Plus, mealworms aren’t a superior option nutritionally, so there’s no real reason to choose them over other options.

Here’s a breakdown of their nutritional value:

Mealworm Nutrition	Value
Fat %	12.72
Protein %	20.27
Fiber %	1.73
Ash	1.57
Ca, ppm	133
P, ppm	3345
CA/P Ratio %	0.040

How Many Super Worms To Feed Bearded Dragons

Super worms are a decent source of protein but have high-fat content.

Because of the high-fat content, this worm should only be fed to your bearded dragon on occasion.

Mixing in different worms is fine as long as lower-quality foods don’t become the norm.

There are various reasons someone may want to or need to include these because of budgeting or depending on what’s available from suppliers.

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What Should I Feed My Bearded Dragon?

Bearded Dragons have a diet consisting of a wide range of foods.

At the foundation of that diet are proteins, greens, and a calcium supplement.

Their protein comes from various insects, with the most popular staple being crickets.

Their greens come from select appropriate vegetables and fruits that won’t create a calcium deficiency.

We’ve included a food list below to give you an overview of the bearded dragon diet.

Everything below is safe for your pet to consume as long as the food isn’t larger than the space between their eyes.

Eating food too large can cause severe pain and injury to your reptile.

During your pet’s early development months, it will consume roughly 70% protein and 30% vegetables.

This ratio flips as they mature into adulthood.

Bearded Dragon Protein (Meat)

Live insects provide the protein, fat, and calories they need to keep their bodies functioning.

Protein foods include:

Crickets
Hornworms
Dubia roaches
Mealworms
Phoenix worms

While some feeder insects are OK to feed your pet daily, others should only be consumed as a treat on occasion.

This distinction is made based on the nutritional breakdown of the insect.

Waxworms are one example of an insect that should only be consumed as a treat due to their high-fat content.

The table below shows you how crickets compare to wax worms in nutritional value for your bearded dragon.

	Crickets	Wax Worms
Fat %	6.01	22.19
Protein %	21.32	15.50
Fiber %	3.2	7.69
Ash	2.17	1.02
Ca, ppm	345	283
P, ppm	4238	2161
CA/P ratio %	0.081	0.131

In another post, we’ve written in more detail on the various feeder insects that bearded dragon owners should use in their pet’s diet.

Read about the best insects for bearded dragons for more information on this subject.

Bearded Dragon Greens, Vegetables, And Fruit

The vegetables, fruits, and salad a bearded dragon consumes will provide the vitamins and minerals needed for long-term health.

These can include:

Melon
Mango
Apples
Peas
Okra
Kale
Parsley
Clover
Dandelion greens

These may be trickier to get the bearded dragons to eat, but it’s necessary.

And while your bearded dragon can eat a variety of fruits, they should be fed sparingly.

Fruit is full of sugar which can lead your reptile to obesity, raise yeast levels, and potentially other issues.

Citrus fruits should be avoided altogether.

To get your pet to eat greens like they should check out our post on how to get bearded dragons to eat greens.

Bearded Dragon Supplements

Even with an exceptional diet, your pet will likely need some extra help to stay healthy.

The biggest concern is a calcium deficiency, as this causes common and severe metabolic bone disease.

There are two ways to give supplements.

One is by sprinkling on calcium powder to the food, and the other is to gut load, or feed, the live food before the beardie eats it.

Warning!! Not all greens and insects are just safe to eat.

You need to know about the foods bearded dragons shouldn’t eat.

How Long Can Bearded Dragons Go Without Eating?

Depending on the age and health of your bearded dragon, they could go without eating for a week or two to upwards of two months.

Healthy adult bearded dragons with extra weight could go up to two months without food, but this isn’t ever recommended.

A young juvenile bearded dragon that stops eating should be a cause for concern since they require proper amounts of protein to grow up healthy.

During brumation, your bearded dragon may go a few weeks to a month without food but should be given water regularly.

Not giving your pet lizard food for extended periods should not be a common practice, but this information is good to know if you’re going on vacation or will be away for a while.

You can learn more about how long bearded dragon’s can go without eating in our other post.

Can You Overfeed Bearded Dragons?

You can overfeed bearded dragons, and they will become overweight.

Obesity in bearded dragons can become quite a problem if their diet is not kept in check and monitored.

This happens when pet owners feed them a diet too rich in insects or too many fatty insects and not enough vegetables.

What Causes Bearded Dragons To Eat Too Much

Bearded Dragons will rarely eat more than they should.

If your bearded dragon is overindulging, it’s likely because of poor quality food, and they’re seeking more nutrients, or they could potentially have a parasite.

Since the bearded dragon’s digestive system will signal them to stop eating when they’re full, it’s typically one of the two above reasons if your pet does overeat.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed learning about how often to feed a bearded dragon.

For adults, two out of every three days is plenty.

Babies need to be fed every day and 3-5 times per day.

Learning and remembering this is a significant step towards being a great bearded dragon owner.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.
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.

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.

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.

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 Bearded Dragons

The Bearded Dragon is a stunningly beautiful reptile that is great for keeping in a city apartment, good contact 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.

Keeping a bearded dragon

Before you bring your dragon home, prepare a place for it. 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 26-29g. 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.

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.

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).

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.

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.