I just bought this bearded dragon about a week ago and all he ever eats is mealworms. I have these bearded dragon bites but he doesnt really like those and hardly ever eats them. i believe he wasnt brought up with fruits or greens because he doesnt want to eat them he only eats his worms. my question is, if i keep putting greens and fruits around him will he eventually eat them? hes about 3 years old. i have also seen videos on youtube on dragons eating, and they eat alot compared to mine. Should i give him crickets or pinkies? or what?
2007-09-20 04:39:02 · 9 answers · asked by Ctell88 2 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
I have encountered this problem from time to time. I work at a museum in TX, and sometime we receive bearded dragons that people no longer want as pets. If they have never been fed salads before, it can be hard to get them to start. You might start with something tempting and sweet, like apple or cantaloupe.
A lot of people don;t realize that feeding bearded dragons only crickets or meal worms restricts them from getting the nutrients they can only get from greens and fruits, leading to malnourished lizards.
You might try for a couple of days only offering him salads, no worms or crickets, and necessity will make him eat. Or you could try force-feeding, but that may not be successful.
Its a difficult situation, good luck.
2007-09-20 04:46:23 · answer #1 · answered by hippiewhomper57 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If he loves meal worms, mix them into the greens. In order to get to the worms he will have to eat some of the greens. Once he realizes how tasty the greens are he might start eating them on his own. Defiantly try crickets, just buy a couple and put them into the cage. Once he sees them moving his hunting instincts should kick in and he should want them. If not take them out and stick to the greens and meal worm salad.
2007-09-20 06:28:22 · answer #2 · answered by Zim 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Before doing anything, make sure his environment is correct. Heat basking of 100F, fresh UVB bulb within 12 inches, no loose substrate on bottom of tank, large 55 gal at least tank, weekly bathing/soaks to hydrate, daily misting. Here is a good site that offers many safe food choices
http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/home.html
Mealworms are not a good food for beardies--too much chitin is hard to digest. Try crickets properly gutloaded and vitamin/calcium dusted, superworms, phoenix worms, silkworms. Put a few worms on the salad to entice him. Try a variety of salad items to see what he prefers. Chop the pieces into bite sized. The bearded dragon bites can be fed, but they are not a balanced diet by themselves. Make sure he has been checked for parasites by an experienced reptile vet. Here are my favorite websites and forum:
http://www.biology.lsa.umich.edu/research/labs/ktosney/file/BD.html
http://www.bearded-dragons.com/tips/
http://www.beardeddragon.org/
2007-09-20 05:45:35 · answer #3 · answered by KimbeeJ 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yeah I'll b surprised if he would eat meal worms its probably too small for him because he is 3 years old. It's like trying to feed an adult ball python a pinky, they'll never go for it. You could go for giant meal worms instead more meat to the shell quality meal worms have too much shell and not enough meat. Or super worms, hissing cockroaches. Give him some time with age they become vegeterians.Good luck!
2007-09-21 22:44:27 · answer #4 · answered by Mille O 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bearded dragons are pretty strict meat eaters as juveniles but their diet should consist mainly of leafy greens as an "adult". My dragon is partial to Red Leaf lettuce and doesn't like much else. Try buying some different greens like Kale, Red leaf lettuce, chard, or even broccoli...Mine get carrots and apples on top of his lettuce most of the time and like them...He gets frozen pinky mice a few times a week for his meat. Good luck...
2007-09-20 04:51:36 · answer #5 · answered by Jess B 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try soaking the bearded dragon bites in applesauce and water to soften them up and make then a little more appealing. Also, offer him some crickets. Be sure to powder your crickets so he is getting more nutrition.
2007-09-20 04:55:43 · answer #6 · answered by hockey4players 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Separate your dragons and your difficulty would be solved. they are not meant to stay mutually except they're mating, that's far too early for a 4 month previous dragon, they dont attain sexual adulthood till finally around a million 3 hundred and sixty 5 days.
2016-11-05 23:00:34 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Try strawberries and fresh peas, mine goes crazy for them and crickets too. He also likes spinach. It maybe that he was brought up like you say without them, try cutting back on the meal worms and replacing them with crickets and strawberries and peas. It will eat soon enough. If it doesn't you could suppliment its water with vitamins. Lo xxx
2007-09-20 04:44:57 · answer #8 · answered by Lo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i would do your research on what greens and veggies you feed him. some of the suggestions people have put on here i wouldnt agree with but thats just me.fruit should be given not in as much quanitity as veggies and only certain greens should be given. just do your research
2007-09-20 11:23:38 · answer #9 · answered by Ajaxnl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋