How to Get Your Baby Bearded Dragon to Eat Vegetables

Bearded dragons are lizards native to Australia. They eat an omnivorous diet; both vegetables and prey animals. According to Draconian, you should never feed your dragon any food item that is larger than the space between her eyes. It can result in medical problems. Dragons commonly eat crickets, collard greens, bok choy, kale and escarole. Avoid feeding them lettuce or spinach, due to poor digestion and nutrition. Your baby bearded dragon may be reluctant to eat his vegetables at first. There are a few tricks you can try to help him get past his initial reluctance.

Things You'll Need

  • Bowl
  • Jar lid
  • Crickets
  • Calcium powder
  • Vegetable clip
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the vegetables in a shallow bowl. This helps your dragon see them better; bearded dragons will not eat food that they cannot see. If you do not have a very shallow bowl, try using a flat lid from a large jar instead.

    • 2

      Add the crickets to the salad. Bearded dragons tend to readily eat crickets. While they are gobbling up their prey food, they may accidentally eat some vegetables. Once they've already eaten a type of vegetable, they may be more likely to eat it in the future.

    • 3

      Feed your dragon by hand. This may be more interesting to him than seeing vegetables in a bowl. If this does not work either, try dropping the vegetables into his cage from above. Bearded dragons may be more interested in food that moves.

    • 4

      Dust the vegetables with the calcium powder supplements that you should be regularly adding to the crickets. If your bearded dragon is accustomed to eating calcium-dusted crickets, he may find the vegetables more interesting when they are dusted.

    • 5

      Attach leafy greens to the side of the aquarium with a vegetable clip. These are available from most pet shops that cater to reptiles. Affix the clip in a spot where your dragon basks.

    • 6

      Feed the dragon vegetables before you feed him crickets. He may be hungry enough that he'll eat the veggies.

    • 7

      Feed the crickets vegetables if all else fails. Gut-load the crickets with greens, then feed the crickets to your dragon. He'll get the same nutrients from the cricket's diet.