Bearded dragons can eat a variety of fruits. Unfortunately, as I have mentioned several times on this blog, not all fruits are healthy and safe for bearded dragons.
So, can bearded dragon eat mango?
A bearded dragon can eat mango. However, it is important to remember that mangoes contain a lot of sugar. But when offered on an occasional basis, the nutrients in mangoes can be beneficial to bearded dragons.
Although mango fruits contain a lot of sugar, bearded dragons can have benefited from eating them. Later in this post, I will share with you what benefits can bearded dragons get from eating mangoes on an occasional basis.
Table of Contents
Nutritional Facts of Mango Fruit
The table below contains the nutritional facts of mango fruits that will help you figure out whether or not mangos are good for your bearded dragons.
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
| Energy | 250 kJ (60 kcal) |
| Carbohydrates | 15 g |
| Sugars | 13.7 |
| Dietary fiber | 1.6 g |
| Fat | 0.38 g |
| Protein | 0.82 g |
| Vitamins | Quantity %DV† |
| Vitamin A equiv. | 54 μg 7% |
| beta-Carotene | 640 μg 6% |
| lutein zeaxanthin | 23 μg |
| Thiamine (B1) | 0.028 mg 2% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.038 mg 3% |
| Niacin (B3) | 0.669 mg 4% |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.197 mg 4% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.119 mg 9% |
| Folate (B9) | 43 μg 11% |
| Choline | 7.6 mg 2% |
| Vitamin C | 36.4 mg 44% |
| Vitamin E | 0.9 mg 6% |
| Vitamin K | 4.2 μg 4% |
| Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
| Calcium | 11 mg 1% |
| Iron | 0.16 mg 1% |
| Magnesium | 10 mg 3% |
| Manganese | 0.063 mg 3% |
| Phosphorus | 14 mg 2% |
| Potassium | 168 mg 4% |
| Sodium | 1 mg 0% |
| Zinc | 0.09 mg 1% |
Source: Wikipedia
Mango fruits also contain a moderate level of oxalates. Oxalic acids can be dangerous to bearded dragons if consumed in large amounts. Oxalic acids bind with calcium which in turn prevents calcium absorption.
This is the main reason why many bearded dragon owners only feed their beardies with mangos on an occasional basis.
Related Article: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Avocado?
What do Bearded Dragons get from Eating Mango?
As stated in the table above, mangos contain some vitamins and minerals that are necessary for beardies’ overall health. If consumed occasionally, mango can provide:
1. Vitamins
Mangos contain vitamin A that will help boost beardies’ healthy eyesight. It will also help beardies to avoid night blindness. Further, sufficient vitamin A will not only improve eyesight but also a healthy immune system for bearded dragons.
2. Pre-Biotic Dietary Fiber
Mangoes also have fiber necessary for healthy digestion. This is very important to prevent bearded dragons from having constipation and other digestive issues. The fiber in mango is usually higher than those in other fruits. This makes mango a good addition to a salad that you offer to your reptile.
When feeding mangoes though, I recommend that you choose the ripe ones. Ripe mangos are rich in fiber. But avoid the overripe mangoes because they have weak fiber and tend to be too watery.
Related Article: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Papaya?
3. Antioxidant
Mangoes also contain a high level of strong antioxidant that combats free radicals that may kill healthy body cells. Some of the common antioxidants are astragalin, quercetin, gallate, isoquercitrin, fisetin, and gallic acid to name a few.
These antioxidants will work together to eliminate free radicals or even toxic chemicals in the bearded dragons’ bodies.
Lastly, mango fruits also contain antioxidants that help boost the creation of protective lining in the intestines and also improve the immune system of the bearded dragons. These antioxidants are polyphenols, rhamnetinm, angiferin, catechins, anthocyanins, and kaempferol. All of these are available in ripe mangos.
4. Essential Minerals
Mango fruits contain essential minerals for bearded dragons. An example of this is potassium. Potassium provides better muscle contraction in bearded dragons. It also regulates fluid and lowers blood pressure.
Potassium is also important in reducing excess water in the beardies’ body and keep them safe from physical diseases.
Related Article: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Frisee?
5. Moderate Water Content
The reason why some fruits are not good for bearded dragons is because of water content. As you might already know, too much water can cause digestive issues in bearded dragons including diarrhea.
Fortunately, mangos have only a moderate level of water making it relatively safe fruit for beardies. Average water is what bearded dragons need to maintain homeostasis of their body. In like manner, a moderate amount of water will keep beardies hydrated.
However, bearded dragons should not eat too many mangoes or too often. If beardies consume large amounts of mangos, they might be over hydrated a condition that could potentially cause diarrhea and high blood pressure.
6. Aphrodisiac Components
Surprisingly, mango fruits contain aphrodisiac components that improve the sexual behaviors of bearded dragons. If your bearded dragon is sexually inactive, giving him mango at least once a week for three to four months will help boost his mating behavior and performance.
Many bearded dragon owners found out that bearded dragons that were given mangos in their salad tend to stay together in one cage. The mating bond also improved.
7. Low Cholesterol Level
The good thing about mango is that it contains low fat and cholesterol. Bearded dragons are like humans that could potentially develop diseases when consumed fatty and foods high in cholesterol.
The vessels of bearded dragons are pretty much similar to humans. Cholesterol will accumulate in the lining of the blood vessel and narrows it. When it happens, blood will not be able to pass through which in turn cause high blood pressure.
An excessive amount of fats too could harm the overall health of bearded dragons. Usually, the fats will build up in the tail section of the beardy and makes him less active. Most bearded dragons in this condition usually become obese.
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Preparing Mango for Bearded Dragons
As mentioned earlier in this post, the size of the food should be taken into consideration before feeding it to the bearded dragon.
The reason being is that beardies are prone to choking and digestive issues when ingested large chunks of foods. Impaction is one common problem.
As a rule of thumb, never feed a bearded dragon with food bigger than the distance between his/her two eyes. This means that the food should be chopped down into smaller pieces to help dragons eat the food easily.
Here is the simple guide in preparing mangoes for bearded dragons:
- Wash the newly harvested ripe mango and let the water drain for at least one day. This process will not only help clean the fruit thoroughly but also improve nutrient contents.
- Before peeling, wash again the mango to make sure that all pesticides and other chemicals are gone. Remember that chemicals of any kind will harm your bearded dragons.
- After washing, let the mango dry for several minutes. Then, as the fruit completely dries, peel it.
- Chop the mango into small pieces. As mentioned, make it a bite-size. This will prevent the beardies from choking when eating the fruit.
- Do not include the seed. It is too hard for bearded dragons to eat. If they eat the seed, it could cause digestive issues such as impaction.
- Mix the mango with greens and worms. This will make the serving more nutritious and interesting for the beardies.
My additional recommendation is that when feeding fruits or making the salad for beardies, try to make it colorful. The best thing you can do is to mix three to four types of fruits together. This will certainly make the salad more colorful.
This is very important especially when you are dealing with picky bearded dragons. Chopping the fruits and veggies into small pieces will make it difficult for beardies to choose their favorite greens and fruits.
Can You Feed Mango Peels, Stems, and Leaves to Bearded Dragons?
As a rule of thumb, do not feed your beardies with hard food. Although mango peels, leaves, and stems are not toxic to bearded dragons, they are tough for them. If ingested, they could cause potential impaction and other digestive issues.
However, mango peels can be given to bearded dragons if chopped in small pieces. Mango peels contain antioxidants that are good for beardies. As mentioned, most of these substances help combat free radicals in the beardies’ bodies.
Related Article: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Daisies?
Best Staple Foods for Bearded Dragons
Aside from mangoes, there are other foods that are good as part of the beardies’ diet. Some of them are listed below.
- Alfalfa (plant)
- Cactus pad or leaf – has high calcium content
- Cactus pear or prickly pear – with high calcium content
- Collard greens – have high calcium but with moderate oxalates
- Dandelion greens – high in calcium, vitamin A (just make sure they are free from pesticides)
- Endive – with high calcium with moderate oxalate content
- Escarole – high in calcium
- Mustard greens – high in vitamin A, C, and moderate oxalate
- Phoenix worms – high in calcium
- Silkworm – contains serrapeptase, an enzyme that helps reduce inflammation
- Squash of many kinds – high in fiber and vitamin A
- Turnip greens – high in vitamin C, A, and moderate oxalate
Related Article: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Chrysanthemums?
Final Thoughts on Can Bearded Dragon Eat Mango
Can bearded dragon eat mango? Yes. However, it should not part of their staple food. This is because mangoes are high in sugar – something that is not good for beardies.
When fed on an occasional basis, bearded dragons can have several benefits from eating mangoes. These fruits contain substances that help combat free radicals in the beardies’ bodies. As you know, free radicals could sabotage the overall health of the bearded dragons. So feeding your beardies with antioxidants will keep your dragon healthy.
I hope this helps. Thanks for reading.
