| Bearded dragon lizards are omnivorous, which
means that they eat both animal and plant matter. As a rule of thumb, do not feed anything
to your lizard that is bigger than the space between their eyes. If you feed them any food
items that are bigger than that you could cause impaction or paralysis of the hind legs. When feeding baby and juveniles, feed them appropriate sized crickets two to
three times daily. Offer them as many as they can eat within a five to ten minute period.
Additionally, you should offer your bearded dragon fresh greens daily, spray them with
water as this will help keep them fresh, as well as keeping your bearded dragon hydrated.
For adult bearded dragons, it is only necessary to offer
their food once daily. Once they've reached adulthood you can begin to offer them locusts,
Cockroaches, Mealworms, Waxworms, Zophobas worms, Silkworms, Butterworms, Red worms,
Earthworms and just about any other worm available. These are used as treats in addition
to the crickets and greens. It is recommended that you purchase all insects used in
feeding your bearded dragon instead of catching them, as the ones in your back yard can
have parasites on them. The parasites can be transferred to your lizard or can poison
them. It's also recommended that you dust the insects with a calcium supplement daily and
a multi-vitamin supplement weekly. Once your bearded dragon is finished eating remove any
uneaten insects from the enclosure.
There is a wide variety of greens that are available that are
good for your Beardie. Dandelion greens, Collard greens, Mustard greens, Bok choy, Kale,
Turnip greens, Escarole and Chicory are among the easiest to find and the best to use.
Most types of lettuce are composed mostly of water and hold little or no nutritional
value. With the wide variety of other greens out there, it is better and easier to avoid
any type of lettuce. Spinach should also be avoided as calcium binds to it and will not be
digested by your animal.
A wide variety of vegetables can also be offered to your
bearded dragon. Butternut squash, Yellow squash, Spaghetti squash, Acorn squash, all other
varieties of squash, Green beans, Parsnips, Sweet potato, Snow peas and Carrots. Carrots
should only be used as a treat though due to the high amounts of vitamin A. Any food with
high amounts of vitamin A should be avoided, as reptiles do not absorb a lot of vitamin A.
Feeding your lizard a lot foods such as carrots can cause a condition called Vitamin A
toxicity which is deadly to your lizard. Squashes will have to be cooked before feeding
them to your bearded dragon. This will soften them up so they can then be minced and eaten
easier.
Fruits can also be used, just avoid any citrus fruit such as
oranges and grape fruit.
Fresh water should be offered daily in a shallow bowl. This
water bowl should be disinfected once per week to avoid any bacterial build up. Many
bearded dragons may not drink from a water bowl so you may have to drip the water slowly
onto your lizards snout. Wiggling your finger in the water may also get their attention,
they like things that move so creating ripples in the water may get their attention.
Edible Greens For Your Bearded Dragon
This is a basic guide to greens that can be used as feed for
your bearded dragon. Staple means the feed is used often and is a base green. Occasional
means that it is a treat for your bearded dragon, used in combination with a staple and
only a few types at a time. Rarely used, means this is not a good nutritional source for
your bearded dragon, but may be beneficial for re-hydration.
Staples: Good as a main source of dietary needs.
Collard greens are a favorite among bearded dragon lizards.
Substitutes include turnip greens or mustard greens.
Dandelions, greens or flowers, have a bitter flavor and are
available year-round. Substitutes include Watercress, curly endive, escarole, arugula, or
collard greens.
Mustard greens or curled mustard, are red and green
varieties, and both have a peppery taste. Substitutes include gai Choy, escarole, kale, or
Swiss chard.
Turnip greens, turnip tops, turnip salad, or Hanover greens
leaves are pungent and slightly bitter. Substitutes include dandelion greens, mustard
greens, Kale, collard greens, or Swiss chard.
Occasional - Great as a treat for your bearded dragon.
Arugula is peppery and has a slightly bitter flavor. Arugula
is a terrific green to throw into an otherwise boring salad. Substitutes include
watercress, Belgian endive, escarole, young dandelion greens, young mustard greens,
chicory, or radicchio.
Beet greens have lots of flavor and a good, sturdy texture.
Substitutes include Swiss chard (a very close substitute) or turnip greens.
Belgian endive has crunchy, slightly bitter leaves.
Substitutes include radicchio (similar flavor), arugula, or watercress
Corn salad has tender leaves and a very mild flavor.
Substitutes include butter lettuce or Bibb lettuce.
Lollo rosso has ruffled red edges.
Rarely used: no nutritional value
Bibb lettuce has delicate, loose leaves and lots of flavor.
Boston lettuce has soft, tender leaves.
Green-leaf lettuce
Iceberg lettuce prized for its crispness and longevity in the
refrigerator, but it's a bit short on flavor and nutrients
Kale is a kind of cabbage with dark green, wrinkled leaves.
Kale has some good properties like antioxidants, but it is also a goitergen and any
reptile with liver or kidney problems should not have much of this.
The following details and food chart have been reproduced with the permission of
Beautiful Dragons website
Nutrition in a Bearded Dragons diet is important and here
below is a table explaining what sort of goodness is derived from each food group for your
dragon. The information has been added but is the result of many surveys carried out
especially in the US. The list covers the amount of suppliements to feed, goodness and
applicable vegetable and plants available to be fed to your dragon.
The following information was gathered with
the help of the USDA Nutrient Database. Ca:P represents the ratio of calcium to
phosphorus. To provide a balanced diet, the Ca:P ratio must be taken into account, as high
levels of phosphorus can block calcium conversion. Most live feeders are high in
phosphorus, so the best way to level the playing field is to offer veggies with high Ca:P
ratios. If you continually offer foods that are have more phosphorus than calcium then you
could have problems later on. This is where a good calcium supplement comes into play. The
products I recommend are on the Recommended Products page. Don't forget to add a multi
vitamin that isn't high in vitamin A. The ratio of vitamin A to vitamin D to vitamin E
should be 100:10:1. I know of one popular "reptile multi-vitamin" that has an A
to D ratio of over 600:1 instead of the recommended 100:10! So be careful when picking out
your Beardie's vitamins.
The following table will help you decide
how many times a week to add supplements to your Beardies diet.
Age
or health status of Beardie |
Multi
vitamin |
Calcium |
Less than a year old |
4 - 5 x |
7 x |
1 - 2 years old |
3 - 4 x |
5 - 6 x |
Over 2 years old |
2 - 3 x |
4 - 5 x |
Pre-breeding or gravid |
2 - 3 x |
5 - 6 x |
Sick or emaciated and less
than a year old |
3 - 4 x |
5 - 6 x |
|
Many calcium supplements and
multi vitamins contain vitamin D3. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is essential to
calcium metabolism, and is made in the Beardie's skin by contact with sufficient UVB
wavelengths. Plants contain another type of vitamin D, called D2 (ergocalciferol). Vitamin
D2 is not nearly as efficient (in fact it is really worthless) at metabolizing calcium,
hence the need for D3. Research suggests that Beardies may not utilize much or any of the
D3 they ingest (as given in a vitamin supplement), only that made by the UVB-skin
interaction. Therefore, buying a calcium supplement that contains D3 is not necessary for
the calcium metabolism. Products such as Solar Drops and Moon Drops are a waste for
Beardies as it misleads people who think that they are making up for the lack of sun or
other proper UVB access, and harms the Beardie who ultimately suffers from metabolic bone
disease from inadequate calcium being metabolized.
Oxalic acid is just as dangerous as phosphorus because it binds calcium. In other
words, it removes calcium from other foods where it would otherwise be. Look in the notes
column for high oxalate warnings.
Goitrogens are foods
which suppress thyroid function. Goitrogens can induce hypothyroidism and depress
thyroidal function. Goitrogens work by interfering with the thyroidal uptake of iodine.
Iodine restriction will cause the thyroid to increase in size in an effort to filter more
blood to get more iodine. Please see the notes column to find out what foods
contain goitrogens.
When freezing green vegetables,
especially the leafy greens, the thiamine (vitamin B1) will leach out. When frozen
greens are fed over a long period of time and no provision is made for adding the thiamine
back into the diet, a deficiency, hypothiaminosis, will occur. This causes tremors
and twitches, which resemples MBD. Please see the Health Page for more info on MBD and
hypothiaminosis.
Just a note on vitamin C
...Vitamin C is water soluble, just like the B vitamins. This just means that the vitamins
are absorbed by water and the extra is excreted in feces. In other words, you can't
overdose on these vitamins like you can with vitamin A and D3. The rate at which Beardies
use vitamin C is not yet known. Since vitamin C is relatively innocuous (it causes
diarrhea at very high doses, such as 5000 g or more per day in humans), supplementation
with vitamin C at moderate levels (about 1 mg/kcal) may help Beardies cope with stress and
disease.
Please note: Not all of
these food items listed below are recommended to feed to your Beardie. Please refer to the
color chart below to help you decide what is a good staple to feed on a daily basis, what
should be fed on occasion or as a treat, or never fed at all.
~ Food Chart ~
Food Chart Key
| Green |
Feed daily, staple |
| Black |
Feed occasionally |
| Blue |
Feed rarely |
| Yellow |
Questionable |
| Red |
Never |
|
Food Item |
Ca:P |
Protein |
Fat |
Fiber |
Sugar |
Water |
Notes |
| Alfalfa (plant, not sprouts) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Great staple |
| Apple (peeled) |
1:1.8 |
.2% |
.3% |
1.9% |
11.5% |
85% |
|
| Apricot (fresh) |
1:1.4 |
1.4% |
.4% |
2.4% |
9.3% |
86% |
High vit.A (26 IU/g) |
| Arugula (raw) |
3:1 |
2.6% |
.7% |
1.6% |
|
92% |
High vit. A (24 IU/g), bitter flavor |
| Asparagus (raw) |
1:2.7 |
2.3% |
.2% |
2.1% |
2% |
92% |
|
| Avocado |
1:4 |
2.1% |
17.3% |
4.9% |
1% |
73% |
Unknown toxicity - deadly for birds |
| Banana |
1:3.3 |
1.0% |
.5% |
2.4% |
18.4% |
74% |
High phosphorus |
| Basil (fresh) |
2.2:1 |
2.5% |
.6% |
3.9% |
|
90% |
High vit. A (39 IU/g) |
| Beans, Garbanzo (canned) |
1:2.8 |
5.0% |
1.1% |
4.4% |
3.8% |
70% |
Low oxalates (24 ppm) |
| Beans, Green (canned) |
1.4:1 |
1.2% |
.1% |
1.9% |
|
93% |
Moderate oxalates (312 ppm) |
| Beans, Green (raw) |
1:1 |
1.8% |
.1% |
3.4% |
|
90% |
Moderate oxalates (312 ppm) |
| Beans, Kidney (canned) |
1:3.9 |
5.2% |
.3% |
3.5% |
|
78% |
Moderate oxalates (312 ppm) |
| Beans, Lima (canned) |
1:3.5 |
4.9% |
.2% |
4.8% |
8.5% |
77% |
|
| Beans, Pinto (canned) |
1:2.1 |
4.9% |
.8% |
4.6% |
|
78% |
|
| Beans, Soybeans (canned) |
1:2.4 |
16.6% |
9.0% |
6.0% |
|
63% |
Moderate oxalates (770 ppm), goitrogens |
| Beef (ground, low fat) |
1:15.5 |
26.1% |
11.7% |
0% |
|
61% |
High phosphorus and protein |
| Beet Greens (fresh) |
3:1 |
1.8% |
.1% |
3.7% |
|
92% |
High oxalates, high vit. A (61 IU/g) |
| Beets (canned) |
1:1 |
.9% |
.1% |
1.7% |
6% |
91% |
High oxalates (15,000 ppm) |
| Bell Pepper (green) |
1:2 |
.9% |
.2% |
1.8% |
|
92% |
Moderate oxalates (1171 ppm) |
| Bell Pepper (red) |
1:2 |
.9% |
.2% |
2.0% |
|
92% |
High vit. C (19%), high vit. A (57 IU/g),
moderate oxalates (1171 ppm) |
| Bell Pepper (yellow) |
1:2.2 |
1.0% |
.2% |
.9% |
|
92% |
|
| Blackberries (fresh) |
1.5:1 |
.7% |
.4% |
5.3% |
7.9% |
86% |
Moderate oxalates, vit. C (2%), high in fiber |
| Blueberries (fresh) |
1:1.6 |
.7% |
.4% |
2.7% |
7.3% |
85% |
Moderate oxalates |
| Bok Choy (Chinese Cabbage) |
2.8:1 |
1.5% |
.2% |
1.0% |
1% |
95% |
High vit. C, high vit. A (30 IU/g), goitrogens |
| Borage (raw) |
1.75:1 |
1.8% |
0.7% |
0% |
.9% |
93% |
High in potassium. |
| Bran, Wheat
(substrate) |
1:73 |
15.6% |
4.3% |
42.8% |
|
10% |
High phosphorus and fiber |
| Bread, White |
1:1 |
8.2% |
3.6% |
2.3% |
|
37% |
Great for hiding meds in |
| Bread, Whole Wheat |
1:3.2 |
9.7% |
4.2% |
6.9% |
|
38% |
Great treat and for hiding meds in |
| Broccoli (raw) |
1:1.4 |
3.0% |
.4% |
3.0% |
|
91% |
High vit. C (9%), mod. oxalates,
goitrogens |
| Butterworms |
|
16.2% |
5.2% |
|
|
59% |
|
| Cabbage, Green (raw) |
2:1 |
1.4% |
.3% |
2.3% |
2.7% |
92% |
High vit. C (3%), goitrogens |
| Cabbage, Red (raw) |
1.2:1 |
1.4% |
.3% |
2.0% |
5.4% |
92% |
High vit. C (6%), mod. oxalates (350
ppm) |
| Cactus Pad/Leaf (raw) |
2.3:1 |
.8% |
.5% |
|
|
|
Great staple veggie, high calcium |
| Cactus Pear (Prickly Pear) |
2.3:1 |
.7% |
.5% |
3.6% |
|
88% |
Great staple veggie, high calcium |
| Cantaloupe (fresh) |
1:1.5 |
.9% |
.3% |
.8% |
8% |
90% |
High vit. A (32 IU/g) |
| Carrots (raw) |
1:1.7 |
.8% |
.5% |
1.8% |
6.6% |
90% |
High vit. A (150 IU/g), moderate oxalates |
| Cauliflower (raw) |
1:2 |
2.0% |
.2% |
2.5% |
2.2% |
92% |
Goitrogens |
| Celery (stalk & leaves) |
1.6:1 |
.8% |
.1% |
1.7% |
1% |
95% |
Finely chop |
| Chayote |
1:1 |
.8% |
.1% |
1.7% |
|
94% |
Moderate oxalates (340 ppm) |
| Cheerios |
1:1 |
11.0% |
6.0% |
9.0% |
|
3% |
High vit. D, A, and B vitamins |
| Cherries (fresh) |
1:1.3 |
1.2% |
1.0% |
2.3% |
14.6% |
81% |
Great treat |
| Chicken (cooked) |
1:16.7 |
27.1% |
4.1% |
0% |
|
68% |
High phosphorus, high protein (white
meat) |
| Chicory |
2:1 |
1.7% |
.3% |
4.0% |
.9% |
92% |
High calcium & fiber |
| Chives |
1.6:1 |
3.3% |
.7% |
2.5% |
|
91% |
High vit. C, high oxalates, high
vit.A (44 IU/g) |
| Cilantro
(Coriander) |
1.4:1 |
2.1% |
.5% |
2.8% |
|
92% |
High vit. A (40 IU/g), mod. oxalates
(50 ppm) |
| Clover |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Great treat |
| Collard Greens |
14.5:1 |
2.5% |
.4% |
3.6% |
|
91% |
Great staple, high calcium, moderate oxalates |
| Corn, Yellow |
1:13 |
2.6% |
1.0% |
2.0% |
5.4% |
77% |
High phosphorus, mod. oxalates (99
ppm) |
| Cranberries (fresh) |
1:1.3 |
.4% |
.2% |
4.2% |
|
87% |
High fiber |
| Cricket (before gut loading) |
1:12 |
21.3% |
6.0% |
3.2% |
|
70% |
Gut-load & dust to increase calcium |
| Cucumber (peeled) |
1:1.5 |
.6% |
.2% |
.7% |
2.3% |
97% |
Good source of water, poor nutritional value |
| Dahlia (flower) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Great treat |
| Dandelion Greens |
2.8:1 |
2.7% |
.7% |
3.5% |
2.4% |
86% |
High calcium, high vit. A (140 IU/g), moderate
oxalates, be cautious of pesticides in wild greens |
| Earthworm |
unk |
10.0% |
2.0% |
unk |
|
84% |
Do not buy worms raised for bait. |
| Egg (whole, hard boiled) |
1:3.4 |
12.6% |
10.6% |
0% |
|
75% |
|
| Eggplant (raw) |
1:3 |
1.0% |
.2% |
2.5% |
3.4% |
92% |
Moderate oxalates (291 ppm), could be toxic to
Beardies ??? |
| Endive |
1.9:1 |
1.3% |
.2% |
3.1% |
1.2% |
94% |
Mod. oxalates, high calcium |
| Escarole |
|
|
|
|
|
|
High calcium, mix with other greens |
| Figs (raw) |
2.5:1 |
.8% |
.3% |
3.3% |
6.9% |
79% |
High in calcium & fiber. Moderate oxalates. |
| Grape Leaves (not ivy) |
4:1 |
5.6% |
2.1% |
11.0% |
|
73% |
High in vit. A (270 IU/g), high
calcium & fiber |
| Grapefruit (fresh) |
1.2:1 |
.6% |
.1% |
0% |
6.2% |
91% |
High vit. C (4%) |
| Grapes (red & green) |
1.4:1 |
.6% |
.4% |
1.0% |
16% |
81% |
Moderate oxalates (34 ppm) |
| Guava |
1:1.3 |
.8% |
.6% |
5.4% |
6% |
86% |
High fiber & vit. C, mod.
oxalates (140 ppm) |
| Hibiscus, Rosella (flower) |
2.7:1 |
1.6% |
.1% |
2.5% |
|
86% |
Great treat and excellent source of vitamins |
| Hibiscus, Rosella (leaves) |
2.3:1 |
3.3% |
.3% |
1.6% |
|
85% |
|
| Honeydew (fresh) |
1:1.7 |
.5% |
.1% |
.6% |
|
90% |
|
| Kale (raw) |
2.4:1 |
3.3% |
.7% |
2.0% |
2.2% |
84% |
High vit. A (89 IU/g), mod. oxalates, goitrogens |
| Kiwi (fresh) |
1:1.5 |
1.0% |
.4% |
3.4% |
9% |
83% |
High oxalates, and high vit. C (10%) |
| Kohlrabi (raw) |
1:2 |
1.7% |
.1% |
3.6% |
4.5% |
91% |
High vit. C (6%), goitrogens |
| Leeks (raw) |
1.7:1 |
1.5% |
.3% |
1.8% |
3.9% |
83% |
|
| Lemon Grass (Citronella) |
1:1.5 |
1.8% |
.5% |
25.3% |
|
71% |
High fiber |
| Lettuce, Loose Leaf |
1.4:1 |
1.3% |
.2% |
1.0% |
|
96% |
Poor nutritional value, may cause diarrhea |
| Lettuce, Iceburg |
1:1 |
1.0% |
.2% |
1.4% |
1.8% |
96% |
Poor nutritional value, may cause diarrhea |
| Lettuce, Red Leaf |
1:1.2 |
1.3% |
.2% |
.9% |
|
96% |
Poor nutritional value |
| Lettuce, Romaine |
1:1.3 |
1.6% |
.2% |
1.7% |
2% |
95% |
Poor nutritional value, high vit. A (26 IU/g),
high oxalates |
| Mango (fresh) |
1:1 |
.5% |
.3% |
1.8% |
14.8% |
82% |
High vit. A (39 IU/g), moderate oxalates (300
ppm) |
| Mealworm |
1:25 |
20.3% |
12.7% |
1.7% |
|
62% |
Low calcium, high phosphorus &
fat, hard chitin shell |
| Mushroom, Portabella (raw) |
1:16.3 |
2.5% |
.2% |
1.5% |
|
91% |
High phosphorus, WARNING - some mushrooms can be
very toxic to Beardies. |
| Mustard Greens |
2.4:1 |
2.7% |
.2% |
3.3% |
.8% |
91% |
High vit. C (7%), high vit. A (53 IU/g),
moderate oxalates (1287 ppm), goitrogens |
| Nasturtiums (flowers) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Great treat |
| Nectarine |
1:3 |
.9% |
.5% |
1.6% |
8.5% |
86% |
|
| Okra (raw) |
1.3:1 |
2.0% |
.1% |
3.2% |
2.4% |
90% |
Moderate oxalates |
| Olives (canned, pitted) |
29:1 |
.8% |
10.7% |
3.2% |
|
80% |
High in calcium and fat, high vit. E (3%) |
| Orange, Mandarin |
1.4:1 |
.6% |
.2% |
2.3% |
|
88% |
Navel oranges have more vit. C and less vit. A |
| Orange, Navel |
2:1 |
1.0% |
.1% |
2.4% |
8.9% |
87% |
High vit. C (6%), moderate oxalates (87 ppm) |
| Papaya (fresh) |
5:1 |
.6% |
.1% |
1.8% |
5.9% |
89% |
Great staple fruit, high calcium, high vit. C
(6%) |
| Parsley |
2.4:1 |
3.0% |
.8% |
3.3% |
1.1% |
88% |
High oxalates (14:1 ox:ca), high vit. C (13%),
high vit. A (51 IU/g) |
| Parsnip (raw) |
1:2 |
1.2% |
.3% |
4.9% |
4.8% |
80% |
Moderate oxalates (205 ppm), high fiber |
| Peach (fresh) |
1:2.4 |
.7% |
.1% |
2.0% |
8.7% |
88% |
Low oxalates (10 ppm), goitrogens |
| Pear, Asian (fresh) |
1:2.8 |
.5% |
.2% |
3.6% |
|
88% |
High oxalates |
| Pear (fresh) |
1:1 |
.4% |
.4% |
2.4% |
10.5% |
84% |
High oxalates |
| Peas, Green (raw) |
1:4.3 |
5.4% |
.4% |
5.1% |
4.5% |
79% |
|
| Peas, Snap (pea & pod) |
1:1.2 |
2.8% |
.2% |
2.6% |
|
89% |
Moderate oxalates (60 ppm) |
| Pepperment Leaves |
3.3:1 |
3.8% |
.9% |
8.0% |
|
79% |
High vit. C, high vit. A (43 IU/g),
high fiber |
| Pineapple (canned) |
2:1 |
.4% |
.1% |
.8% |
|
86% |
Moderate oxalates (58 ppm) |
| Pineapple (fresh) |
1:1 |
.4% |
.4% |
1.2% |
12% |
87% |
Moderate oxalates (58 ppm) |
| Pinky Mouse |
1:1 |
|
|
|
|
|
Very high in fat |
| Plum (fresh) |
1:2.5 |
.8% |
.6% |
1.5% |
7.5% |
85% |
|
| Pomegranate |
1:2.7 |
1.0% |
.3% |
.6% |
9% |
81% |
Moderate oxalates (140 ppm) |
| Pork Chop (cooked) |
1:7.8 |
30.2% |
8.1% |
0% |
|
61% |
High in phosphorus. |
| Potato, Russet
(cooked) |
1:5 |
1.7% |
.1% |
1.8% |
1% |
77% |
Mod. oxalates (150 ppm), high
phosphorus |
| Potato, Sweet (cooked) |
1:1.3 |
1.7% |
.3% |
1.8% |
5% |
73% |
High vit. A (171 IU/g), mod. oxalates (1000 ppm) |
| Prunes (canned) |
1:1.5 |
.9% |
.2% |
3.8% |
|
71% |
|
| Pumpkin (raw) |
1:2 |
1.0% |
.1% |
.5% |
4.4% |
92% |
Moderate oxalates (400 ppm) |
| Radicchio |
1:2 |
1.4% |
.3% |
.9% |
|
93% |
|
| Radish (raw) |
1:1 |
.6% |
.5% |
1.6% |
2.7% |
95% |
Moderate oxalates (92 ppm) |
| Raisins (seedless) |
1:2 |
3.2% |
.5% |
4.0% |
62% |
15% |
Great treat, high fiber, high sugar content |
| Raspberries (fresh) |
1:1.2 |
.9% |
.6% |
6.8% |
|
87% |
Moderate oxalates |
| Rhubarb |
6:1 |
.9% |
.2% |
1.8% |
.9% |
94% |
Highly toxic! High oxalates (13,360 ppm) |
| Rice (brown, long grain) |
1:8.3 |
2.6% |
.9% |
1.8% |
|
73% |
Must be cooked |
| Rosemary (fresh) |
4.8:1 |
3.3% |
5.9% |
4.0% |
|
68% |
High calcium and fiber. |
| Rutabaga (raw) |
1:1.2 |
1.2% |
.2% |
2.5% |
5.6% |
90% |
Goitrogens |
| Salmon, Pink (canned) |
1:1.5 |
19.8% |
6.1% |
0% |
|
70% |
High protein |
| Sardines (canned) |
1:1.3 |
24.6% |
11.5% |
0% |
|
60% |
High protein |
| Seaweed (Kelp) |
4:1 |
1.7% |
.6% |
1.3% |
|
82% |
High calcium |
| Silkworm |
1:2.4 |
63.8% |
unk |
unk |
|
76% |
Contain an enzyme called
serrapeptase, this has properties that make calcium absorption more efficient, can reduce
inflammation, pain and best of all it can break down arterial plaque. |
| Spaghetti (cooked) |
1:7 |
4.8% |
.7% |
1.7% |
|
66% |
|
| Spearmint |
3.3:1 |
3.3% |
0.7% |
6.8% |
|
86% |
|
| Spinach |
2:1 |
2.9% |
.4% |
2.7% |
.4% |
92% |
High in vit. A (67 IU/g), high in oxalates (19:1
ox:ca), goitrogens |
| Sprouts, Brussel |
1:1.6 |
3.4% |
.3% |
3.8% |
2.2% |
86% |
High vit. C (8%), goitrogens |
| Squash, Acorn |
1:1 |
.8% |
.1% |
1.5% |
2.2% |
88% |
|
| Squash, Butternut (Winter) |
1.5:1 |
1.0% |
.1% |
11.7% |
2.2% |
86% |
High fiber, high vit. A (78 IU/g) |
| Squash, Hubbard |
1:1.5 |
2.0% |
.5% |
8.7% |
2.2% |
88% |
High fiber, high vit. A (54 IU/g) |
| Squash, Scallop |
1:2 |
1.2% |
.2% |
3.8% |
2.2% |
94% |
|
| Squash, Spaghetti |
2:1 |
.6% |
.6% |
6.9% |
2.2% |
92% |
High calcium and fiber |
| Squash, Summer |
1:1.8 |
1.2% |
.2% |
1.9% |
2.2% |
94% |
|
| Starfruit (Carambola) |
1:4 |
.5% |
.4% |
2.7% |
7.1% |
91% |
High oxalates (95,800 ppm) |
| Strawberries (fresh) |
1:1.4 |
.6% |
.4% |
2.3% |
5.7% |
92% |
High vit. C, moderate oxalates |
| Superworms |
1:18 |
17.4% |
17.9% |
6.8% |
|
60% |
High phosphorus, dust or inject to increase
calcium |
| Swiss Chard |
1:1 |
1.8% |
.2% |
1.6% |
1% |
93% |
High vit. A (33 IU/g), high oxalates |
| Swiss Cheese |
1.6:1 |
28.4% |
27.5% |
0% |
|
37% |
High vit. D and A |
| Tofu (soft, raw) |
3.6:1 |
8.1% |
4.8% |
.3% |
.4% |
85% |
High protein (hasn't been tested for
beardies...?) |
| Tomato, Red (raw) |
1:5 |
.9% |
.3% |
1.1% |
3% |
94% |
Moderate oxalates (263 ppm), acidic |
| Turnip (raw) |
1:1 |
.9% |
.1% |
1.8% |
3.8% |
92% |
Moderate oxalates (4:1 ox:ca), goitrogens |
| Turnip Greens |
4.5:1 |
1.5% |
.3% |
3.2% |
1% |
91% |
High vit. C (6%), high vit. A (76 IU/g), mod.
oxalates |
| Watercress |
2:1 |
2.3% |
.1% |
.5% |
.4% |
95% |
High vit. C (4%), high vit. A (47 IU/g), high
oxalates (6:1 ox:ca) |
| Watermelon |
1:1 |
.6% |
.4% |
.5% |
9% |
92% |
|
| Wax Worms |
1:7 |
15.5% |
22.2% |
7.7% |
|
62% |
High phosphorus, dust to increase calcium |
| Wheat Grass |
1:1 |
25% |
|
|
|
|
Very nutritious for reptiles and humans. |
| Yams (raw) |
1:3.2 |
1.5% |
.2% |
4.1% |
.5% |
70% |
|
| Yogurt (with active cultures) |
1.3:1 |
4.4% |
1.8% |
0% |
|
75% |
Although yogurt can increase the good gut flora,
it is now believed that beardies cannot properly digest dairy products. |
| Yucca Root (Cassava) |
1:1.7 |
1.4% |
.3% |
1.8% |
|
60% |
|
| Zophobas Worms |
unk |
19.0% |
17.0% |
unk |
|
58% |
|
| Zucchini (raw, peeled) |
1:4.4 |
2.7% |
.4% |
1.1% |
2.2% |
93% |
High phosphorus |
Safe plants?
The following is a list of plants that are
known to be safe for Bearded Dragons. This information was found at Melissa Kaplan's
website (www.anapsid.org) as well as a few other sites (see below for other sites).
Remember, when buying plants from a store, you have to replant them and wait 6 to 12 weeks
for the pesticides to "grow out" before feeding.
Plants proven safe for Bearded Dragons:
Alfalfa
Astilbe
Baby's Tears
Basil (leaves and flowers)
Chinese Lantern (flowers)
Carnations (petals)
Chamomile, English
Clover
Dahlia (flowerhead)
Dandelion (leaves, flowerhead)
Day Lilies (flowers)
Dracaena (cornplant)
Fennel
Ficus (leaves)
Geranium (flowers, leaves)
Grape (leaves, fruit), (not ornamental grape ivys)
Impatiens
Johnny-Jump-Up (flowers)
Hibiscus, Tropical & Blue (flowers, leaves)
Hollyhock (leaves, flowers)
Hens and Chicks
Lavender
Maple (leaves)
Mesquite (leaves)
Mint
Mulberry (leaves)
Nasturtium (flowers, leaves)
Oregano
Pansies (flowers)
Pea, Green Bean (leaves, pods)
Peppermint
Petunia
Phlox
Pinks (petals)
Rose (petals)
Rosemary (leaves, flowers)
Sage (leaves, flowers)
Spider Plant (leaves, sap may be a skin irritant)
Split-Leaf Philodendron (leaves)
Squash / Zucchini (flowers)
Thyme (leaves, flowers)
Violets (Not African Violets (flowers, leaves)
Wandering Jew (leaves, sap may be a skin irritant)
Yucca (flowers)
The following sites
helped provide some of the information above:
http://www.geocities.com/gayla_carter/egplants.html
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07237.html
|