Grass is one of the most common foods for most pets. If you have a bearded dragon at home, you might also wonder whether your beardie can eat grass.
So, can bearded dragons eat grass?
Unfortunately, bearded dragons should not be fed grass. The reason being is that grasses, in most cases, are hard to digest for bearded dragons. Secondly, grass is not a good source of essential vitamins and minerals for beardies.
Although many animals eat grass as their main source of food, bearded dragons are different in terms of their digestive capacity. Beardies are not built for hard foods.
If consumed hard to digest foods, they could potentially suffer from impaction. Grass is an example of greens that should not be given to beardies to keep them safe from impaction and other digestive issues.
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Table of Contents
Should Bearded Dragons Not Eat Grass at All?
Although I don’t personally recommend feeding your bearded dragons grass, it does not mean that reptiles cannot eat grass at all.
Some beardie owners feed their reptiles sparingly. A small amount of grass may not harm your bearded dragon.
Grasses are not new to beardies. This is because in the wild they might already have tasted it. Remember that bearded dragons are omnivores meaning they eat animals and greens. In the wild, they eat pretty everything available to them including grass.
If you want to give grass to your beardies, make sure that it is in a small amount and on an occasional basis. Do not let your beardies eat too much grass in the backyard.
This is because, aside from the fact that grasses are hard to digest, grass may also have chemicals such as herbicide. If your backyard is sprayed, it will be too dangerous for your beardies to roam around.
Needless to say that chemicals are harmful to bearded dragons. Their health is fragile and could easily get affected.
Therefore, as a pet owner, it is your job to make sure that your reptile gets safe and healthy foods. This is critical especially if you are a beginner.
Back when I was started caring for my first bearded dragon (Sam), I was not truly aware of what bearded dragons can and cannot eat. As a result, I fed my beardie the wrong food that ultimately caused his death.
I learned the best lesson the hard way – never feed bearded dragons with foods that I am not sure if they are safe. But it was difficult for me to figure out what my beardies can safely eat.
Choosing a safe food is just one thing; choosing a safe and nutritious food is another. Not all available foods are safe for them. Therefore, you should not offer something to your reptile because it is available. Make sure that it is safe and healthy.
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Can Bearded Dragons Eat Too Much Grass?
Grasses are not toxic to bearded dragons (as long as they are not sprayed). This means that beardies can occasionally eat them if you as an owner allows them.
But can bearded dragons eat too much grass? No. In fact, personally, I don’t recommend feeding it to my beardies.
The grass in your backyard is not easy to digest making beardies prone to impaction. If beardies consumed too much grass, they could suffer from digestive issues later on.
Another reason why bearded dragons should not eat too much grass is that grasses do not offer true nutritional value for beardies. Eating foods that have no nutritional value for reptiles could lead them to the nutrient deficit.
Remember that bearded dragons are omnivores. This means that their diet should include the balance between greens and live insects.
For baby and juvenile bearded dragons, their diet should compose of about 80% insects and 20% greens. The reason for this is that young beardies need more protein for them to gain speedy growth.
In adult beardies, on the other hand, their diet should compose of 80% greens and only 20% of insects. This is because adult beardies don’t need protein as much as they used to.
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What Other Greens Can Bearded Dragons Eat in the Yard?
Aside from grass, beardies eat other greens such as clovers and dandelions (I am assuming that your backyard is free from any chemicals).
However, clovers should not be part of their regular diet. If you offer it, make sure that it is only on an occasional basis.
Dandelion greens are healthy for bearded dragons. These greens are high in calcium, fiber, vitamin A, C, K, E, folate and vitamin B. Dandelion greens are some of the healthiest foods you can offer to your reptile.
Some bearded dragon owners asked whether or not their reptiles can dig and eat earthworms in the yard. Well, bearded dragons can eat earthworms, but I don’t recommend feeding them worms from the yard.
The reason for this is that we don’t know exactly if those worms are healthy and safe from hazards and parasites. If you want to feed your beardies earthworms, you can buy specifically bred ones.
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Dangers in the Yard to Avoid
Aside from toxic chemicals, there are other dangers in the yard you should look out for to keep your beardies safe. This is because there are insects that could be dangerous and toxic to bearded dragons.
Examples of those insects are ants, spiders, fireflies, and stink bugs. Firefly, for instance, is one of the most toxic to bearded dragons. A small amount could already kill the reptile.
Spiders on the other hand could also harm your beardie. Ants, although not toxic to bearded dragons, they contain folic acid that serves as their main defense system to fight predators.
What this means is that, although your backyard is not sprayed with chemicals, it is not safe for bearded dragons. As bearded dragon owners, it is our job to make sure that our beardies are safe.
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Final Thoughts on Can Bearded Dragons Eat Grass
I don’t personally recommend feeding bearded dragons grass. Grass is too hard for beardies to digest. As you know, bearded dragons are prone to impaction and other digestive issues when ingested wrong food.
Another reason for this is that grass does not have nutritional value to bearded dragons. Eating too much grass may only lead to a nutritional deficit.
But if you want to offer grass to your bearded dragons, you can do it occasionally. An occasional treat may not cause health issues in beardies.
But I strongly suggest that, as long as possible, avoid unhealthy foods for beardies. I rather choose healthier greens for my reptile.
I hope this helps. Thank you for reading.
