Juvenile Bearded Dragon Diet

Bearded dragons are very common pet reptiles. Because of their hardiness and even temperaments, beardies are very popular with children and adults alike. Many people choose to start out with baby beardies and raise them to adulthood. Beardies grow to about 2 feet in length, most of that composed of tail. Juvenile bearded dragons are usually not difficult to feed, but require a variety in their diets for healthy growth. Omnivores by nature, juvenile beardies should be fed different foods every day, mixed up as the keeper sees fit.

  1. Crickets

    • Crickets are the most common type of food for baby bearded dragons. Packed with protein, crickets are usually a staple of a baby beardie's diet. They can be served either live or freeze-dried, but must be small enough to fit into the juvenile's mouth. Baby beardies are not finicky eaters and tend to gorge, so they'll typically eat up to four or five crickets per day. Usually the crickets can just be thrown into the enclosure; the beardies will hunt them down eventually, though if you see one hiding, it's not a bad idea to push it out into the open. Freeze-dried grasshoppers are also available, though these typically are not available through mainstream pet stores. Live grasshoppers should not be taken from outside, because they may carry toxic pesticides that can harm your lizard.

    Mealworms and Wax Worms

    • Mealworms are good for providing healthy fats to your growing baby bearded dragon. Mini mealworms and wax worms can be kept in the refrigerator until they're ready to be fed to your reptile, which can usually eat a few a day. You have two options for feeding worms to baby beardies: you can either put them in a shallow dish, or hold them out in front of the babies using tweezers. Either way, make sure not to allow mealworms to escape into the enclosure; if they hide long enough, they'll eventually change into annoying beetles.

    Greens

    • Bearded dragons are omnivores, so feeding them a variety of greens every other day is important to provide them with vitamins and water (many beardies absorb water from vegetation rather than drink it from a bowl). Virtually any type of fruit or vegetable can be given as long as it is diced up into chunks small enough to be swallowed and placed on a shallow dish in the enclosure. Remove any uneaten greens every day to avoid rotting and attracting bugs.

    Lizard Pellets

    • Many pet stores sell bearded dragon food pellets in little plastic jars. They usually look like little multicolored balls, composed of fish meal, vitamins, and crude protein and fats. While these are very good for your juvenile beardies, many will be hesitant to eat it. It is generally served in shallow bowls with some water added to make it easy to swallow. Most keepers prefer using live, meaty foods as opposed to the lizard pellets, but if your beardie is willing to eat it, it makes an excellent occasional treat.

    Out of Tank Feeding

    • Sometimes baby beardies are nervous and may not eat in their enclosures. Other times they may have difficulty catching their prey or are outgunned by an aggressive tank mate. A solution to this is to have another, very small tank with just some newspaper as a substrate and no decor. Feeding the baby beardie in this tank, then putting it back into its enclosure when it is finished, may promote eating and help it figure out what is edible. If beardies eat in the holding tank, try to slowly ween them off it over the course of a few weeks.

    Supplements

    • There are numerous vitamin supplements you can give your bearded dragon that will further promote healthy growth. Most of these supplements come as powders that can be sprinkled onto their food items, like their crickets or mealworms.