If you want your bearded dragons to eat a varied diet, besides live insects, veggies and some supplements, you should provide them fruits. Fruit contain necessary vitamins and minerals can keep your dragons healthy.
So what is the best fruit for bearded dragons? How much fruit you should feed the? Here is some basic information about fruits for bearded dragons that every owner should know.
Before feeding your bearded dragons
It is important to know that all fruits should only account for 10% of bearded dragons diet. It is the mistake that many people provide fruit for their dragons too often. Fruit contains a lot amount of sugars and acid, which harm the digestive system of your pet.
You can also offer frozen fruit for them but it is absolutely less vitamin than fresh fruit.
Ensure that you will cut fruit into small pieces or mash the fruit to avoid the stuck of fruit in your bearded dragon’s throat.
When offering any fruit that has outer skin and seeds such as apples or grapes, removing or these skin and seeds before feeding your bearded dragons.
Note: You should not put the fruit directly on the substrate because it can adversely affect the bearded dragon’s digestive system. Even the best substrate for bearded dragons should never be a place to put food on.
The best fruits for bearded dragon: Papaya will be the best staple fruit for bearded dragons. You can give papaya for them weekly with a small amount. Beside, Mango also the great staple fruit due to the amount of vitamin A, and low oxalate levels contained in it.
Some other safe fruits for bearded dragons are: Apples, Melon, Almost types of berries fruit (strawberries, blueberries, cherries), Pears, Kiwi, Cantaloupe.
Fruits never to offer
Lemons, Limes, Oranges, Tangerines, and any citric fruits: these fruits contain high levels of citric acid that lead to the risk for dragon’s digestive system and even death in baby bearded dragons. It is better to never feeding them any citric fruits.
Fruits contain a lot of water
Remember that bearded dragons do not need lots of water; they even rarely drink all the water you place in their tank. They can get enough water for their body from the food they eat such as salads and veggies.
Due to that, the fruits that you provide them also should not contain a lot of water of your bearded dragons can have the risk of diarrhea. This can lead to dehydration. These fruits such as tomato and cucumber should not be fed too often.