Bearded dragons are cute lizards that are commonly kept as pets!The bearded dragon care might seem to be intimidating after looking at the many instructions you may find about them. However, once you get the hang of it, it will be a breeze for you and your beardie!The common name for this lizard is the bearded dragon. The scientific name of this animal is Pogona. It is a type of reptile whose average lifespan is 4-10 years. They have a very scaly exterior and have spikes under their chins that look like small beards. There are a total of eight known species of the bearded dragon. The most common bearded dragon which is kept as a pet by multiple people across the world is Pogona vitticeps. These bearded dragons are affectionately called ‘beardies’! When not kept as pets, bearded dragons love to live in the wild. They live in various places across Australia. They prefer to live in arid regions that are warm like deserts, savannahs, woodlands, and scrublands. In shops, they come in different colors, which are not commonly found in the wild.Do you like reading about what bearded dragons need to eat and how to properly take care of their diets? You will surely love more articles like bearded dragon colors, and bearded dragon eggs!What foods can baby bearded dragons eat?Bearded dragons love to eat various different foods. But having a well-balanced diet is very important. Overeating can result in obesity and health problems later in life. To create a nutritious diet, you should know the foods that should be avoided and those that contain nutrients for them to grow. They should be given food at least three times a day. After the bearded dragons reach juvenile age or adult age, you can change their diet according to their needs.The reptile can be fed from a wide range of options like plant-based foods like kale, bok choy, greens, mustard, ringworm, and plant-based parsley, sweet potato, and mustard greens. They can also eat from a few fruit options. When bearded dragons are enjoying life in the wild, they mostly eat a lot of insects and meat, like crickets, worms, cockroaches, and dubia roaches. The remaining part of their diet is the plants they get in nature. Hence, even when kept as pets, they should eat a combination of these two parts, which would include veggies, fruits, grass, and meat. When they are young, they eat a lot, but as they grow older, their diet should be changed so they eat less often. Bearded dragons can eat plants such as plantain, dandelion, dead nettle, etc. Some greens that bearded dragons can eat without any problems include floret mix, lamb’s lettuce, parsley, turnip greens, kale, collards, etc. And some vegetables the bearded dragons can eat are peas, zucchini, sweet potato, bell pepper, kale, mustard green beans, cabbage, pak choi, kohlrabi, mustard greens, acorn squash, okra, asparagus, butternut squash, etc. The bearded dragons can also munch on fruits. But these fruits should only be eaten occasionally because they contain too much sugar, which can raise their yeast levels. Bearded dragons should avoid citrus fruits. Some fruit options bearded dragons can eat on their feeding schedules include figs, apples, mangoes, watermelons, papaya, dates, and peaches.A bearded dragon at a young age will mostly feed on insects and some plants. They will feed less often and also need to eat more plant-based food rather than animals and insects as they grow older. So at that time, when the baby bearded dragon evolves into an adult, more plant material should be given, and insects should only be fed once or twice a day. This variety of food will help the baby bearded dragon get all the nutrients that it needs. For their healthy and long future, you should always consult your vet before making any dietary changes and never feed them more food than they require. Whenever feeding them fruit or veggies or even some worms, the outer shell or peel from the worms or fruit should be removed, as it might be hard to chew it and even digest. Pip should also be removed from all the food. Keep your bearded dragon hydrated, and make sure to keep a shallow water bowl near them. A bearded dragon needs a lot of water, and keeping a deep bowl can cause the bearded dragon or live insects like crickets to drown in it. Hence, it is also important to clean this bowl of water regularly. If you have any concerns with respect to the bearded dragon, then contact the vet immediately. They might not get enough vitamins and calcium from their daily beardie’s diet. Hence, it is important for owners to keep track of their nutrients and give them supplements as and when necessary. According to the beardie’s age, the quantity of food can be determined, and you can also determine the quantity of calcium or vitamins they will need. Bearded dragons have a great sense of smell and also a very sharp set of eyes.What should you feed a baby bearded dragon?Bearded dragons can be complicated when it comes to behavior. Sometimes they can show really aggressive behavior. They are very territorial when it comes to habitats or females. Moreover, they can also attack the females if the females are not showing submissive behavior towards the male.Everyone loves bearded dragons because they are so cute and small. But we have a lot of responsibilities to keep them happy and healthy as they require a lot of care and attention to grow into the impressive dragons that we imagine them to be. When feeding a bearded dragon, you should be aware of what foods are good for your pet and which foods can turn out to be harmful to baby bearded dragons. Bearded dragons can eat a lot of plant-based foods, including vegetables, fruits, and different plants. Whenever giving them food, make sure it is chopped in a way that makes it easy to chew and digest. Hence, any risk of choking or injury is eliminated.A newborn dragon, as well as a juvenile dragon, can be fed insects. It should be preferred to give them a combination diet based on meat and plants. Small-sized insects are very tasty for them. However, they do not provide the dragon with all the nutritional value that they need. Hence, you should also sprinkle their food with vitamins, minerals, and calcium supplements. Quality pellets should be given to your pet to keep them healthy. Providing vegetables from an early stage is important too so that they get used to the diet and eat plenty of plant-based nutrition. One of the problems faced by bearded dragons is dehydration, especially when they are of young age. Hence, owners should make sure to keep water bowls near their pets. These bowls should not be deep but shallow in order to prevent any mishaps such as drowning. This water should be changed daily to prevent contamination from excrement. What foods should you avoid feeding?In baby bearded dragons, the beard is a very effective means of communication. Males and females commonly communicate with each other by changing the color of their beards or puffing under their chins. Sometimes, when aggravated, they even produce hissing sounds. To stay happy and nutritious, bearded dragons, also called beardies, need to ingest a proper beardie’s diet, which is on a regular schedule. There are plenty of options available for feeding food, but what about foods that you should stop feeding? As a beardie owner, you should also be aware of what foods could be a potential danger to your pet. The bearded dragon eats many kinds of fruits and green veggies. Some vegetables and fruits are a strict no-no for your pet. Let’s find out how to maintain a well-balanced diet to keep your pets healthy.Some veggies, like lettuce, should be completely avoided unless it is an emergency. Even though the bearded dragons love lettuce, it does not contain any healthy components and can even cause some digestion issues for the dragon. So, it is a good idea to feed them kale, dandelion leaves, etc., for their healthy future. Fireflies are also not a good option to feed. In fact, they are toxic to these reptiles. So, it is suggested that you keep a watch on the lizard while in the wild to prevent them from catching any wild flies such as fireflies. Avocados also have some toxic acids, which might result in death. Rhubarbs are also poisonous, and if fed accidentally, make sure to give them plenty of water and call your vet as soon as possible. Beet tops and spinach should also be given in limited quantities as they inhibit the absorption of calcium in their bodies.To understand what exactly you should feed your pet dragon, make sure to visit a vet! Beardies, when young, need a lot more calcium as their bones are growing. It is a commonly seen problem amongst bearded dragons that they have low amounts of vitamins like vitamin D3 and calcium, along with minerals. Due to this, vets have suggested that you sprinkle a little calcium powder in the food that you are providing two or three times a week. Once a week, you should also use normal reptile mineral supplements in your food. When you sprinkle these nutrients in the food, make sure that your pet is consuming them properly. Be sure to discuss anything you give your pet, including medications and supplements, with your vet.What can baby bearded dragons eat?Usually, bearded dragons show inquisitive and gentle behavior. They are commonly kept as pets around the world. They can also be called semi-arboreal, which means that they can be found on tree bark or even fences! In the fall season, when the temperature drops, they sometimes go into hibernation.A baby bearded dragon is considered a hatchling for up to four or five months since they hatch out of eggs as newborns. During this time, the babies are very delicate and fragile. Hence, it is very important to pay keen attention to them and make sure bearded dragon babies are getting plenty of supplements and nutrients like vitamins and calcium. It is also very important to beware of the portion of the diet you are giving to your pet. A general rule is that you should never give a beardie a food quantity that is larger than its head. Too large insects, if given to a small dragon, can cause injury or can even turn out to be fatal! They can be given many vegetables, insects, and even fruits.Babies have a huge appetite when it comes to meals. Bearded dragon babies will try to eat anything and everything that they can find. But if they feed on an insect that is too big for them, it can cause fatal damage and serious injuries, and sometimes they can even slip into paralysis! You can find small crickets that are 0.5 in (1.2 cm) long, or small wax worms, or even small fruit flies. These small insects will be perfect for your baby dragon as the hazard of choking will be at a minimum, and they will be able to chew their food comfortably. Their digestion will also go smoothly. But since they have a high metabolism rate, they will need to eat food more frequently, but in smaller quantities. It is suggested that you avoid feeding them with mealworms. They have a very tough shell on their outside, which can make it difficult for the baby to chew and digest.Baby bearded dragons have different nutritional needs than adult baby dragons. A small dragon’s diet should have about 60% protein, which can be achieved by them eating insects or any meat, and the other 40% can be given in the form of plant-based diets such as cabbage and collard greens. You can also offer them small insects or finely chopped vegetables a couple of times a week as they are very tasty and will keep your dragon happy and healthy. This will also help with the overall development of their nutritional needs and health. You should never overfeed them, and their diet should be consistent, as overfeeding the babies can lead to obesity, which can further lead to various long-term health issues. Hence, you should always consult a vet before making any diet plans for your bearded dragon.Once your pet reaches about five months to 18 months of age, they become juvenile and will have gained a lot of fat reserves as well as some mass so that they can be fed less frequently than newborns. Feeding them like newborns can lead to obesity. As these bearded dragons grow, their diet needs to change as well, so you should be aware of what fruit, vegetables, and insects you should give your pet. When your baby dragon reaches the juvenile stage, you can start to feed them insects one or two times a day, and we can change the number of vegetables fed by feeding them at least four to five times per week. Always keep the rule of thumb rule of not having the food quantity larger than their head. Adult dragons can be fed mealworms as they become capable of chewing and digesting them without any issues. However, start providing them with less meat and a more plant-based diet. When the bearded dragon is young, it is a carnivore and prefers to eat more meat, whereas when they are older, they prefer to eat more vegetarian food, so they can be herbivores. Hence, you can give them 50% of animal-based and 50% of plant-based food.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! 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Bearded dragons are cute lizards that are commonly kept as pets!
