Can Bearded Dragons Eat Strawberries? Bearded Dragon Diet

You must have wondered at some point that as much as a human loves a strawberry, a bearded dragon loves it as much. Are they safe for our reptile friends? Can bearded dragons eat strawberries?

Like other fruits, the bearded dragon may eat strawberries in small quantities. Strawberries are a safe fruit for bearded dragons, and you don’t have to feed your bearded dragon strawberries only once a month. You can feed your bearded dragon strawberries several times a month but in moderation.

If you ever happen to see a bearded dragon, you’ll find that it’s an incredibly unique lizard species. This lizard species is mostly found in the forests of central Australia or hot deserts.

But since the 1990s, this type of lizard has been found in various pet stores in the United Kingdom and the United States. Nowadays, it is kept as a popular exotic pet in every household.

Are Strawberries Safe for Bearded Dragons?

Bearded dragons should be fed strawberries in small amounts occasionally, but it should be intended as a treat. Strawberries can’t be an important part of a bearded dragon’s diet because they’re high in sugar.

Whenever you offer a strawberry to a bearded dragon, it is important to make sure that no chemicals or pesticides have been used on the strawberries, and to avoid them, washing the strawberries thoroughly is better.

Also, if you feed a whole strawberry to a bearded dragon, the bearded dragon may choke, so dividing the strawberry into small portions is advisable. If a bearded dragon is given too much fruit to eat, it can be harmful to its digestive system.

Therefore, it is important to ensure that when feeding strawberries to a bearded dragon, they should not be thought of as its primary food. Rather, strawberries should be made a part of its diet.

Nutritional Content of Strawberries:

Bearded dragons need more calcium than phosphorus to survive and live a healthy life with a ratio of 2:1 (Ca:P). If you take one cup of chopped strawberries, that’s about 40 milligrams of phosphorus. The calcium content can be about 27 milligrams or even less.

So the answer to the question “Can Bearded Dragons Eat Strawberries” is that they can eat strawberries, but strawberries do not contain the nutrients that a lizard needs as strawberries are very low in calcium, and bearded dragons have a very strong need for calcium.

Nutritional Requirements of Bearded Dragons:

If you want to avoid complications like Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), it’s important to meet all of your bearded dragon’s nutritional needs.

VCA is a very large hospital, and doctors there recommend that between 80 and 90 percent of a bearded dragon’s plant consumption should consist of leaves and flowers. These doctors also say that bearded dragons should only be allowed to eat 10 percent fruit.

Veterinarians have formulated this diet for bearded dragons because bearded dragons need calcium. Fruit is rich in phosphorus, but bearded dragons do not need phosphorus; they are calcium seekers.

Reptile vets have observed that bearded dragons require a diet of 80 percent insects and 20 percent plants. As a bearded dragon gets older and matures, its diet changes; for example, they start eating about 20 percent insects and 80 percent plants.

Among the most important aspects of a bearded dragon’s diet are calcium and phosphorus. They need a ratio of approximately two parts calcium to one part phosphorus.

Calcium supplements have a hard time achieving this ratio, and they achieve this ratio after traveling long enough. But here it is very important to know how much calcium your bearded dragon requires and give him calcium accordingly.

The Benefits Of Including Strawberries In Their Diet:

Whenever you give strawberries to your bearded dragon, don’t think that it is just a tasty treat for him, but also that strawberries contain many nutrients, which lead to an increase in vitamins in the bearded dragon’s diet.

Strawberries are low in carbohydrates because of their high water content. A bearded dragon will be slimmer and healthier if its diet has high water content and lower carbohydrates.

Strawberries are high in Vitamin C, calcium, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber, which is why strawberries are at the top of the list of fruits to feed dragons.

Drawbacks of Feeding Strawberries to Bearded Dragons:

While there are many benefits of feeding strawberries to bearded dragons, there are also some disadvantages which are as follows.

1. Too much water – Bearded dragons need nutrients while strawberries are high in water content and low in nutrients, so strawberries are not a good food choice for dragons. Eating strawberries will fill a bearded dragon’s stomach, but it won’t allow it to grow at its best.
2. A high sugar content – Strawberries are very high in sugar, so strawberries cannot form a large part of a dragon’s diet. Because if animals eat too much sugar, it can cause health problems.
3. Low nutritional value – Bearded dragons like to eat fruits that are high in calcium and low in phosphorus, but strawberries are high in phosphorus and low in calcium, so they cannot be a regular part of a bearded dragon’s diet. Because there is a lack of nutrition in strawberries.

How to Prepare Strawberries for Bearded Dragon:

When choosing strawberries for your bearded dragon, you should keep the following in mind:

1. The strawberry’s growth method – Whenever you choose strawberries for your bearded dragon, you should choose organic strawberries. Sometimes some chemicals can accumulate in strawberries that can harm your bearded dragon.
2. Use of pesticides and herbicides – If you can’t buy organic strawberries, then you should focus on buying fruits that are grown without pesticides and herbicides. Many toxins can cause harm to pets. Finally, when you find the strawberries you’ve been looking for, for your bearded dragon, prepare your strawberries.
3. Wash the fruit thoroughly so that no chemical residue remains on its surface.
4. If you offer your bearded dragon strawberries cut into small pieces, he will eat them quickly and not complain of getting stuck in his throat.

How Often Can Bearded Dragons Have Strawberries?

When you feed strawberries to your bearded dragon, it’s important to be careful not to give your dragon so many strawberries that he is forced to eat them. The strawberries you give the bearded dragon shouldn’t be whole, but rather pieces of them.

Strawberries are just a tasty fruit and are not a regular part of a bearded dragon’s diet, so we recommend that you do not give strawberries to your bearded dragon more than once a month.

Strawberry Health Concerns:

In terms of taste, strawberries top the list, but in terms of nutrition, strawberries are far behind. Before feeding a bearded dragon a strawberry, you should be aware of all the problems a dragon can face after eating strawberries.

Strawberries are Acidic:

The pH range found in strawberries is 3.3, and this pH level creates acidity in the bearded dragon. Foods that contain acidic ingredients can cause mouth and digestive discomfort if fed to bearded dragons daily.

If you cut up strawberries into small pieces and mix them with an alkaline such as banana, the bearded dragon may feel less pain.

How Can Bearded Dragons Eat Strawberries?

Bearded dragons sometimes bite off a small portion of a strawberry and, after digesting it, eat the rest of the strawberry.

But this is possible only when you are standing in front of him and watching him; if you give him a strawberry and go somewhere, he will eat the whole strawberry in one go.

You can also cut strawberries into small pieces, mix them with other fruits or vegetables, and serve them to your bearded dragon. But it is very important to note here that whenever you give any fruit to your bearded dragon, wash it thoroughly first to wash away all the germs on it.

How to Feed Strawberries to Bearded Dragons?

If you must feed your bearded dragon strawberries, the amount should be small. If you do decide to feed your bearded dragon strawberries, do so no more than once a week.

What Types of Strawberries are Best?

A store-bought strawberry or one made locally is good for bearded dragons. Strawberries that have been stored for a long time or frozen due to ice are not suitable for a bearded dragon.

Also, avoid feeding dragons dried strawberries, and keep fruit mixes containing different types of fruit away from bearded dragons.

From What Age Can Bearded Dragons Eat Strawberries?

We recommend that you carefully assess the age of your bearded dragon and start feeding him small amounts of strawberries as soon as he is a year old. When a bearded dragon turns one year old, it transitions from a carnivore to a vegetarian.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Strawberries every day?

Strawberries cannot be considered a staple of a bearded dragon’s diet for several reasons.

On the one hand, the strawberry provides nutrients to the bearded dragon, and on the other hand, the high sugar content in strawberries can cause various problems for bearded dragons, such as obesity, metabolic disorders, and even dental problems.

Secondly, bearded dragons have specific dietary requirements crucial for their well-being, including balanced levels of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These nutritional needs are best met through a varied diet consisting primarily of leafy greens, vegetables, and insects.

Fruits like strawberries, plums, papayas, bananas, and grapes should only be offered occasionally as a treat to prevent dietary imbalances and digestive disturbances.

The Natural Diet of Bearded Dragons:

National Geographic is a highly trusted zoological organization that says the bearded dragon eats a diverse and varied diet in the wild. Many people know bearded dragons for eating beetles because bearded dragons crush beetles with their strong jaws.

But if you ask people more about it, they will be unaware that bearded dragon eats tough lizards, mice, and small lizards too. The bearded dragon is an omnivore, meaning it eats the leaves, flowers, and fruits of suitable plants.

The Bearded Dragon Menu:

1. Bearded dragons are known as omnivores because they like to eat both plant and animal-based food
2. A 50 percent plant-based and 50 percent animal-based diet is considered the ideal bearded dragon diet
3. However, for an adult bearded dragon, this ratio may be 80 percent vegetables and 20 percent insects.
4. Adult bearded dragons should be fed vegetables and fruits as well as insects at least once a week.
5. If you want to create a specific feeding plan for your bearded dragon, you need to consult a vet.
6. If you want to add fruit to your bearded dragon’s diet, you should include the following fruits: apples, plums, papayas, bananas,  peaches, pears, blackberries, watermelon, pineapple, cherries, and grapes.

Alternative Fruits That You Can Feed Bearded Dragons:

Although we do not recommend that you make fruit a large part of a bearded dragon’s diet, many fruits can be a good treat for a dragon.

VCA vets have rated five fruits as safe for your bearded dragon, and these include strawberries, figs, dates, raspberries, and apricots. You can also feed fruits like beans to your bearded dragon.

Conclusion:

Finally, I feel it is important to tell you that you can feed your bearded dragon strawberries, but the amount must be limited to avoid health damage.

“Can Bearded Dragons Eat Strawberries” is a question with a nuanced answer. Although strawberries contain some nutritional benefits such as vitamins and antioxidants, they should not be a major part of a bearded dragon’s diet.

If you have any reptiles at home, to ensure their health and well-being, you should feed them a diet that promotes their regular growth, such as leaves, vegetables, insects, etc. You can also give strawberries to your bearded dragon, but give them as an occasional treat.

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