What do bearded dragons eat?
Bearded dragons are omnivores, and the ratio changes dramatically with age. Youngsters eat mostly live insects with some greens; adults eat mostly greens with fewer insects. Keeping an adult on a juvenile diet is the most common feeding mistake, and it leads to obesity and liver problems.
How the ratio changes
Hatchlings and juveniles need a diet weighted towards live insects, fed several times a day, because they are growing fast and need the protein.
As they mature the balance reverses, and an adult should be eating mostly plant material with insects a few times a week rather than daily.
Adults fed like juveniles become overweight and are prone to fatty liver disease. It is a slow problem that is easy to miss, because the animal is eating enthusiastically throughout.
Live food, and gut loading
Suitable insects include crickets, locusts, dubia roaches and black soldier fly larvae. Mealworms and waxworms are high in fat and are better treated as occasional items than staples.
Gut load the insects before feeding — an insect that has eaten well is worth far more than one that has been sitting in a tub. Dust with an appropriate calcium and vitamin supplement as advised.
Size the food to the dragon: nothing wider than the space between their eyes, which is the standard guideline for avoiding impaction.
Do not feed wild-caught insects. Pesticide exposure and parasites are both real risks.
Greens, and what to avoid
Good staples include collard greens, mustard greens, butternut squash, and dandelion leaves. Rotate rather than feeding one thing, and chop to a manageable size.
Spinach and similar high-oxalate greens bind calcium and are best limited. Iceberg lettuce provides very little.
Avoid avocado, rhubarb and any plant you cannot confidently identify. Fireflies are dangerous to reptiles and should never be offered.
UVB lighting and correct temperatures are not optional extras — without them a bearded dragon cannot digest properly or use dietary calcium, and metabolic bone disease follows.
Common questions
- How often should I feed a bearded dragon?
- Juveniles need feeding several times a day with a diet weighted towards insects. Adults eat mostly greens daily with insects only a few times a week.
- What insects can bearded dragons eat?
- Crickets, locusts, dubia roaches and black soldier fly larvae are common staples. Mealworms and waxworms are high in fat and better kept occasional. Never feed wild-caught insects.
- What vegetables are best for a bearded dragon?
- Collard greens, mustard greens, butternut squash and dandelion leaves are widely recommended. Limit spinach and other high-oxalate greens, and rotate rather than feeding one thing.
- Why is my adult bearded dragon overweight?
- Most often because they are still being fed like a juvenile — too many insects, too few greens. It is the commonest feeding mistake and can lead to fatty liver disease.
- Do bearded dragons need UVB?
- Yes. Without correct UVB and temperatures they cannot digest properly or use dietary calcium, and metabolic bone disease follows however good the food is.
Sources
Written against guidance published by UK veterinary and welfare organisations. Always confirm specifics with your own vet.
Written by Matt Garnett, who runs Giddy Pets and is a lifelong pet owner — not a vet. This is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your animal. How we write these guides.