Can bearded dragons eat dragon fruit? One of my readers asked this question a couple of days ago. So I decided that in this post, I will share with you some important nutritional facts about dragon fruit.
While it is true that bearded dragons can eat a variety of fruits, not all fruits are safe for them. In fact, some varieties can potentially cause health issues in bearded dragons.
So, can bearded dragons eat dragon fruit?
Bearded dragons can eat dragon fruit but only an occasional treat. This is because dragon fruit has high water, acid, and disproportionate calcium to phosphorous ratio content.
As you know, choosing the best and healthy fruits for bearded dragons involves assessing the water, acid content, and balance calcium and phosphorous content.
Before digging deeper as to why bearded dragons cannot dragon fruit in large amounts, I like to share some nutritional information about dragon fruit.
Table of Contents
Nutritional Facts of Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruits have more nutritional content than what is listed in the table below. But I only included the ones that are essentials for bearded dragons.
Nutritional content per 100g
| Name | Amount | Unit |
| water | 77 | g |
| Vitamin C | 20.5 | mg |
| Calcium | 8.5 | mg |
| Phosphorous | 22.5 | mg |
As you can see, there are a few nutrients present in dragon fruits. But are they healthy for bearded dragons? Let’s talk about each of these in this section.
Water
One of the considerations when choosing food for beardies is the water content. This is because watery foods could potentially cause digestive issues such as diarrhea in bearded dragons.
As you can see, dragon fruit contains a considerable amount of water that is not good for bearded dragons. Unless your reptile is constipated, do not feed him/her dragon fruit regularly in large amounts. Fruits like this one are not good for regular consumption in beardies.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is very important to help bearded dragons develop stronger immune systems. However, it is also important to remember that too much vitamin C is not good for them.
Aside from water, acid content should also be taken into consideration. Dragon fruits contain high vitamin C that is not good for bearded dragons.
This is another reason why I don’t recommend feeding beardies dragon fruit on a regular basis and in large amounts.
Calcium
The good thing about dragon fruit is that it contains calcium. Calcium is another mineral that beardies need to develop healthier and stronger bones. The lack of calcium is detrimental to their health.
However, the downside is that the calcium level in dragon fruit is not good for beardies. I will talk about this more later.
Phosphorous
Finally, dragon fruit contains phosphorous, another mineral essential for bearded dragons’ health. But the level of phosphorous in the dragon fruit is not appropriate for bearded dragons.
As you know, balanced calcium and the phosphorous ratio is very important for bearded dragons. The reason why I think that the calcium and phosphorous ratio content in dragon fruit are not healthy is that they are not balanced.
The ideal ratio for calcium to phosphorous should be at least 2:1 or close to it. All foods that you offer to your beardies should have this ideal ratio.
As we can see the ratio for calcium to phosphorous in dragon fruits is way disproportionate. The phosphorous content is higher than the calcium. This will only cause health issues in beardies in the long run.
The higher phosphorous level may prevent calcium absorption which will in turn cause calcium deficiency in beardies. When this happens, even worse health risks may also occur. So be careful not feeding your beardies too much dragon fruit. Choose healthier fruit options instead.
Related Article: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Papaya? (Is It Dangerous?)
What Fruit Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
As mentioned, not all fruits are safe for bearded dragons. But there are a few that can bring no harm to your reptile. Examples of fruits you can give to your beardies are papayas, peeled bananas, apples, raspberries, plums, peaches, and pears. Bearded dragons also love watermelon, pineapples, cherries, and grapes.
However, although these fruits are healthy, remember that fruits should be a small component of your reptile’s diet. This is because most fruits have a high water content that is not good for beardies.
Also, make sure that the fruits are clean and free from chemicals. As a rule of thumb, do not feed your bearded dragons fruits you picked in the wild. We don’t know if they are clean.
Always go for the safe ones. I recommend that you buy fruits from the market. If you grow your own, it would be the best option.
Related Article: Can Bearded Dragon Eat Mango? (You Should Know This)
How to Prepare Fruits for Bearded Dragons?
When feeding fruits, always remember that bearded dragons are prone to choking and other digestive issues. This happens especially if they are given large chunks of food.
That said, make sure that you chop the fruits into small bite-size pieces. There are fruits that needed to be peeled before slicing. But there are some that have soft skin and can be offered without peeling.
Adding two to three types of fruits to your beardies’ salad is a good idea. It will help make the salad more colorful and therefore more enticing for bearded dragons to eat.
This is a good strategy if you have a picky bearded dragon. Chopping the fruits into small bite-size pieces will make it hard for the reptile to just select his/her favorite part of the salad.
Related Article: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Grapefruit?
Final Thoughts on Can Bearded Dragons Eat Dragon Fruit
Bearded dragons can eat dragon fruit as an occasional treat. Not in large amounts. Dragon fruits are not healthy for beardies for regular consumption.
The reason for this is that dragon fruit contains too much water, disproportionate calcium to phosphorous ratio, and acid. High water content, for instance, can cause digestive issues in bearded dragons.
The disproportionate ratio for calcium to phosphorous is also detrimental to bearded dragons. It can cause health in beardies when consumed regularly.
Lastly, the high acid content of dragon fruit makes it unsuitable for bearded dragons. So you need to be careful when choosing fruits for your beardies.
