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Pet bearded dragons need the right amount of nutrients to develop at all stages of their life. It is important for owners to know what their reptiles can and cannot eat. Some bearded dragons may be keen to eat herbs and grass whenever you both are outdoors. But can bearded dragons eat grass?
Bearded dragons can eat grass, but shouldn’t. Grass does not provide the vitamins and minerals your beardy pals need in their diet. Beardies also find grass very hard to digest which can lead to an array of digestive issues. It is best to feed your bearded dragons other greens they will benefit from and leave out grass entirely.
In this article, we’ll get to see why your bearded dragons should not eat grass among other essential info. Use this information to keep your dragon healthy and provide it the nutrients it needs.
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Can Bearded Dragons Eat Vegetables?
Bearded dragons can eat some vegetables that provide the nutrients they need to develop. Dragons need a decent amount of calcium, vitamins, folate and essential minerals in their diet.
Experienced owners of bearded dragons usually offer dandelions to their reptiles. A good number of veggies have a lot to offer bearded dragons. It is important to desist from offering your bearded dragons grass that have nothing to offer their health.
Also, if you plan to offer your bearded dragons vegetables from your yard, ensure it’s chemical free. Plant flowers and veggies your bearded dragons will eat without any inorganic additions. Your bearded dragon could suffer from significant health issues upon ingesting chemical-laced vegetables.
Why Bearded Dragons Shouldn’t Eat Grass?
There are many reasons why bearded dragons shouldn’t eat grass, even if they can. Here’s a look at few of these reasons:
Pesticides
Typically, when people consider feeding their bearded dragon grass, they believe they can walk to their front yard and grab a handful of grass. However, this can be extremely dangerous as lawn grass can contain pesticides and chemicals that can poison your bearded dragon.
However, even if you’re sure your lawn grass does not contain any chemicals or pesticides does not mean you can feed it to them. Keep reading to learn the various other reasons why grass isn’t the best option for feeding your beardie.
Digestive complications
Cows, goats, sheep, and other ruminant animals have digestive systems designed to digest grass easily. However, bearded dragons do not have such a system. The incompatible digestive system of bearded dragons puts them at risk whenever they consume grass.
Impaction, constipation, and other nasty digestive issues could follow suit, putting your bearded dragon in considerable discomfort.
Poor nutritional intake
Grass could be a staple for several animals, but when it comes to bearded dragons, it doesn’t offer much. Bearded dragons cannot get as much nutrients from eating grass as they would from insects or healthy greens.
There’s no point feeding your bearded dragon what you’re sure it won’t benefit from, doesn’t make sense at all.
Nutrient deficit
If your bearded dragon gets used to consuming grass, it may not want to eat healthy stuff it needs. Such an event could result in a massive nutrient deficit that puts your bearded dragon on the brink. Malnutrition is one of the first signs of nutrient deficiency.
Bearded dragons could find it challenging to grow and may suffer serious bouts of lethargy.
If Bearded Dragons Shouldn’t Eat Grass, What Should They Eat?
When you plan to feed your bearded dragon, the goal is simple – try to replicate its natural diet. Mimicking the natural diet of bearded dragons ensures they grow strong and healthy.
Baby dragons
Youngling dragons need an unbalanced dose of proteins and vitamins to develop into juveniles. It is important that baby dragons receive at least 75% insects and 25% plant-based foods. Furthermore, we recommend feeding your baby bearded dragon antibiotics to ensure they grow strong and healthy!
Juvenile dragons
Dragons at an adolescent stage will develop into adult dragons with an evenly-balanced diet. Consider offering your juvenile dragons a 60% insect, 40% plant diet. If your bearded dragon is advancing towards adulthood, you can switch its diet to a 50%-50% pattern.
Adult dragons
Mature dragons should eat around 20% – 30% insects and 70% – 80% plant-based foods. Adult dragons can eat carrots, most worms, and select fruits like apple.
When you’re planning a diet regime for your bearded dragon, don’t use a one-size-fits-all approach. Consider the size, age, nutritional requirements, and other factors closely.
Younger bearded dragons could need proteins in their diet, meaning you’ll have to offer more insects. Adult dragons are more likely to need vitamins more than proteins, making more veggies ideal inclusions to their diet.
FAQs
Can lizards eat grass?
Two types of lizards can eat grass – herbivores and omnivores.
Herbivores (plant eaters) like small wild lizards and iguanas feed on some grass. Omnivores (plant and animal eaters) like the bearded dragon can eat grass, insects, and flowers.
Can bearded dragons eat weeds?
Domestic bearded dragons can eat some weeds known to have benefits and pose no risks to other reptiles. Weeds like broadleaf could be ideal for your bearded dragon. Reptiles like iguanas, chameleons, and other crawling animals feed on some weeds.
Can bearded dragons eat outside lizards?
Adult bearded dragons can eat wild lizards, and some pet owners add anoles to their pets’ diet. There’s no cause for alarm if your lizard can munch on a smaller lizard. But if you notice your dragons beginning to develop digestive problems, take them to a vet immediately.
Can bearded dragons eat raw hamburger?
Your bearded dragon will gain excess weight if it eats chicken, hamburger, or turkey. Besides adding too much weight to your bearded dragon, meats like raw hamburger could result in illness. Dragons diagnosed with metabolic bone disease (MBD) may be consuming too much meat.
Final Thoughts: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Grass?
Can bearded dragons eat grass? Not really.
Grass can be hard for bearded dragons to digest and may cause several digestive issues for your beardy pets. These dragons could suffer nasty impaction from eating grass that are difficult to digest.
Besides being hard for bearded dragons to digest, grass don’t possess the nutrients bearded dragons need to develop. Also, eating much grass could do more harm than good to your dragons.
Feed your bearded dragons healthier greens they can benefit from instead. Bearded dragons can draw much-needed nutrients from fruits and select veggies.
