Young bearded dragons eat mostly live insects and adults mostly leafy greens. The sources split the change by age, and they don’t agree on the exact shares.
How old is your dragon?
Diet for this age
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Greens to feed
Dark leafy greens and weeds should be the main plant food, RVC says, and VCA puts leafy greens at 80–90% of it. RSPCA’s safe greens are watercress, rocket, chicory, cress and grated butternut squash, with wild dandelion, clover and plantain leaves. VCA’s list adds collard, turnip and mustard greens, bok choy, escarole, cilantro, parsley, green beans and bell peppers, among others.
Live insects
Offer a variety: crickets, locusts and calciworms (RSPCA), and dubia roaches and black crickets (RVC). Each should be no bigger than the dragon’s mouth (RSPCA) or the width of its head (RSPCA Australia). Feed them straight after dusting, and take out any not eaten within 30 minutes.
Foods to limit or avoid
- Spinach: RSPCA says to avoid it, as it stops calcium being absorbed. VCA feeds spinach, Swiss chard and beet greens only sparingly because of their oxalates.
- Cabbage and kale: RSPCA warns against too much, as they can affect hormone production, and VCA is cautious with them and mustard greens because of goitrogens.
- Fruit: a treat only, 10–20% of the plant food at most, because it’s low in minerals (VCA).
- Waxworms and superworms: sparingly, not every day, as they’re high in fat.
- Insects from outside: VCA advises against them, since they may carry fertilizer or insecticide.
- Fireflies: never. VCA says they’re generally toxic to lizards.
Calcium and vitamins
VCA’s routine is a light sprinkle of phosphorus-free calcium on the food every day, plus a calcium powder with vitamin D3 two to three times a week. RSPCA Australia gut loads insects and dusts them with calcium just before feeding, with a multivitamin powder on the vegetables every two weeks. VCA notes that getting calcium, vitamin D3 and mineral supplements wrong is a common problem in pet dragons.
The rest of a dragon’s setup is on what does a bearded dragon need.