Question by junior: What do you feed juvenile bearded dragons?
I am going to purchase a male juvenile bearded dragon. I have done much research on bearded dragons and know much about them. I need help when it comes to feeding. Tell me all there is to know.
What do they eat?
How often do they eat?
How much do they eat?
Best answer:
Answer by reptilegirlok
A juveniles diet should consist of 80% bugs and 20% veggies and fruits. when you bring the guy home im sure hes no older then a couple months old so for then just feed him like EXTREMLY SMALL CRICKETS that you can buy in pet stores that are already gut loaded
The hatchlings should be fed at least 2-3 times a day for optimal growth. Feed the babies 1-2 hours after the lights have come on to give the babies a chance to warm up. The last feeding of the day should be a couple of hours before the lights go off to give the dragons time to digest their meal. Start with 2-5 crickets 9per dragon) for the first feeding. Excess crickets in the cage, crawling all over the dragon can stress them out. Remove any uneaten crickets before the lights go out at night. Babies should be fed #2 crickets (1/4-3/8 inch long) up to approximately 2 months of age, as too big of a prey item can kill a baby dragon. A good rule of thumb is the prey item should be no longer then the width of the dragon’s mouth. Babies can be fed small 1/4 inch mealworms a few times a week. They will have to be mail ordered, as pet shops do not usually carry mealworms this small. As the size of the dragon increases, so should its prey.
Vegetables are an important part of a bearded dragon’s diet and should be offered daily in bite size pieces in a shallow dish or lid. Arrange the dish or lid filled with vegetables within the dragons view from his basking spot. You should mainly stick with leafy greens, such as collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, turnip greens, chicory, chard, escarole, and endive – alternating when possible. Remove any hard veins. Do not feed your bearded dragon iceberg lettuce as this can give them ‘the runs’ and dehydrate them. Just a few of the foods you can supplement with as your dragon grows are, radish tops, broccoli flowers, parsley, shredded carrots, bell peppers, kale, peas, and red cabbage. REMEMBER BITE SIZES
Supplementation should consist of dusting the crickets every 3-4 feeding with a phosphorous free calcium powder, like Rep-Cal with Vitamin D3. A good vitamin supplement such as Herptivite should be used only once a week. Failure to use the calcium regularly and overuse of the vitamins can both cause problems. If not using a UV-B bulb, you must be faithful in giving the proper calcium/D3 supplements to prevent possible health problems
**After receiving your dragon, it is common for them not to eat immediately. The stress from transporting and inspecting its new environment may put eating on the ‘back burner’ for a day or so. After 3-4 hours of allowing your dragon to adjust to its new home, offer it a few crickets and some chopped greens on a shallow lid. Avoid trying to hand feed until the dragon is eating well for a few weeks and has adjusted to its new environment.
If your dragon does not eat the few crickets by the end of the first day, remove the crickets and offer some water. Try covering the sides of the dragon’s enclosure partially with paper to eliminate environmental stress. The next day, wait until mid-day to offer it crickets again. Hopefully, by not seeing any food items for a 1/2 day and becoming more comfortable in their new home, this will stimulate their appetite. If your dragon does not eat by the end of the second day, offer it water again and please give us a call.
I hope this helps you out just remember as a baby the dragon only needs A LITTLE BIT OF VEGGIES AND FRUITS but as it grows you need to make it see itll get a little more and a little more and at the same time a little less bugs and a little less bugs =) good luck
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