Can Bearded Dragons Eat Honeydew Melon?

Bearded dragons can eat a variety of fruits. However, it is important to remember that not all fruits are safe for them. If you are a new bearded dragon owner, you should be very careful. There are many fruits that you should avoid feeding your bearded dragon.

So, can bearded dragons eat honeydew melon?

Bearded dragons can eat honeydew melon in small amounts as an occasional treat. This is because honeydew melons have high water and disproportionate calcium-to-phosphorus ratio content.

As you know, there are a couple of things you need to consider when choosing food for bearded dragons. The most important one is the calcium to phosphorus ratio.

The ideal combination is 2:1 in favor of calcium. Foods that do not have balanced calcium and phosphorus contents are not suitable for bearded dragons.

Also read: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Papaya? (Is It Dangerous?)

Nutritional Facts of Honeydew Melon

Honeydew melon contains more nutrients than what is listed in the table below. However, I only included the constituents that are crucial for beardies.

Nutritional content per 100g

As you can see in the table, honeydew melons contain nutrients which amounts may or may not good for bearded dragons. Let’s talk about each of those nutrients.

Water

As you can see, the water content in honeydew melon is high. This is too much for bearded dragons. Watery fruits are not good for beardies because they could cause diarrhea and other digestive issues.

The water content present in honeydew melon is an indication that this fruit should not be part of beardies’ staple food.

Energy

Honeydew melon also contains a good amount of calories. A calorie is an energy source. This is essential especially if beardies are active. The calorie content in honeydew melon is not that high though but it will help.

However, it is also important to remember that bearded dragons in captivity do not have physical activities as much as they do in the wild. So don’t give them too many calorie-rich foods.

Sugar

Another thing to look out for when choosing the food for beardies is the sugar content. Like water, sugar is another detrimental constituent when eaten in large amounts on a regular basis.

Although the amount of sugar in honeydew melon is not too high, I don’t recommend feeding it to bearded dragons regularly. Sugar can do harm than good in reptiles.

Calcium

As you can see, honeydew contains calcium too. This is a good mineral for bearded dragons. Calcium plays a very important role in developing healthy bones. The lack of calcium may result in several potential health issues. One of which is a metabolic bone disease.

Metabolic bone disease is characterized by weak and brittle bones. This is a serious condition in beardies. It could cause health issues such as difficulty in walking, loss of appetite, and even death.

To keep your bearded dragon healthy, you need to make sure that he/she gets enough calcium.

However, the calcium content in honeydew melon is not suitable for bearded dragons. I will explain why below. Let me jump to the next part first.

Phosphorus

The phosphorus content in honeydew melon is higher than calcium. In this case, there is a disproportionate ratio for calcium to phosphorus. This makes honeydew not suitable fruit for bearded dragons, especially in regular consumption.

The reason why the calcium level in this fruit is not healthy is because of the phosphorus content. The phosphorus level should be lower than the calcium.  

The problem emanates from the fact that the disproportionate ratio for calcium to phosphorus may cause many health issues in bearded dragons.

Also read: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Grapefruit?

Healthy Fruits for Bearded Dragons

If the honeydew melon is not suitable for the beardies’ regular diet, don’t worry. There are other healthier fruits you can offer instead. Below are some of the fruits you can add to your reptiles’ salad.

• Apples
• Apricot
• Blackberries
• Blueberries
• Chayote
• Cherries
• Cranberries
• Figs
• Grapes
• Grapefruit
• Mangos
• Melons
• Papayas
• Peaches
• Pears
• Strawberries
• Watermelon

There are many fruits you can add to the list above. Just make sure that they are not harmful to bearded dragons. In choosing fruits, stay away from too watery ones. As mentioned, watery fruits can cause digestives issues in beardies.

Also, always remember that fruits should only be a small part of your reptile’s diet. Bearded dragons are better off eating more greens and insects.

How to Prepare Fruits for Bearded Dragons?

Preparing foods for bearded dragons involves a few considerations. One of which is safety. Whatever fruits you offer, it should be clean and free from chemicals. Bearded dragons can develop health issues when ingested those pathogens.

Therefore, the first thing you need to do with fruits is to wash them thoroughly. Make sure that the pesticides, if any, are washed out.

Secondly, make sure that you chop the fruits into small bite-size pieces. This is because bearded dragons are prone to choking if given large chunks of food.

The safest thing you can do is to consider the distance between your reptile’s eyes. Never feed your beardies food bigger than the space between their eyes especially in young ones.

Also read: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Kiwi? Important Facts

Final Thought on Can Bearded Dragons Eat Honeydew Melon

Bearded dragons can eat honeydew melon on an occasional basis and in small amounts. The reason is that this fruit has high water content and disproportionate calcium to phosphorus ratio.

As a rule of thumb, foods for bearded dragons should have balanced calcium and phosphorus content. The good news is that there are many healthier fruit options you can offer to your bearded dragon. You can use the list above as a reference.

I hope this helps. Thank you for reading.

Related Questions