Snow pea is a type of pea that is commonly part of a healthy salad. It can be eaten as a whole. If you have a bearded dragon at home, you might also be wondering whether or not snow peas can be fed to beardies.
So, can bearded dragons eat snow peas?
Bearded dragons can eat snow peas but only on an occasional basis. This is because of its oxalate and disproportionate calcium-to-phosphorus ratio content.
As you might already know, bearded dragons should not be given foods with oxalate content. Oxalic acid is dangerous to beardies’ health. It can bind with calcium which in turn prevents calcium absorption.
Aside from oxalate, snow peas also contain other constituents that may not also good for bearded dragons. The table below summarizes the nutrients that beardies can get from eating snow peas.
Related Article: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Peas? Important Facts
Table of Contents
Nutritional Facts of Snow Peas
The table below contains snow pea’s nutrients. Let us see why it is not good regular food for bearded dragons.
Nutritional value per 100g
| Name | Amount | Unit |
| Energy | 42 | kcal |
| Sugars | 4.00 | |
| Vitamin A | 1087 | IU |
| Vitamin C | 60 | Mg |
| Vitamin K | 25 | Μg |
| Calcium | 43 | Mg |
| Phosphorus | 53 | Mg |
| Water | 88.89 |
As you can see from the table, snow peas are a good source of energy. This means that a snow pea is a great addition to beardies’ salad.
However, it is also indicated in the table the sugar content. Foods with high sugar content are not good regular foods for beardies. They can suffer from many possible health issues.
Another thing that is noticeable in the table is the amount of vitamin A. Snow pea has a high vitamin A content. While it is essential to bearded dragons, too much of it is not good.
Bearded dragons are prone to vitamin A toxicity. This happens when they consume too much vitamin A. If you are feeding your beardies with foods high in vitamin A, you should not give them supplements. It is dangerous for them to have a high amount of vitamin A.
Furthermore, snow peas have disproportionate calcium-to-phosphorus ratio. This is very important to consider. In fact, in my opinion, taking the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio into consideration when choosing foods for beardies is the most important thing you should do as a bearded dragon owner.
The ideal ratio is 2:1. As you can see in the table, snow peas have higher phosphorus than calcium. This is not good for regular feeding. Greens and veggies should have at least 2:1 calcium-to-phosphorus ratio to keep bearded dragons healthy.
Lastly is the water content. Bearded dragons are prone to digestive issues when consumed watery foods. As a rule of thumb, always stay away from watery foods.
If you really want to feed your bearded dragons snow peas, make sure that it is just a treat and on an occasional basis only.
Related Article: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Papaya? (Is It Dangerous?)
What Kind of Peas Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
There are a variety of peas that bearded dragons can eat on an occasional basis. Other peas are sugar snap peas. But like snow peas, these peas should be fed occasionally.
In general, peas have the same nutritional content shown in the table above. It means that they are all not good as regular foods for bearded dragons.
To keep your beardies safe from potential health problems, I recommend that when feeding them with peas, add healthier greens.
The wider the variety of healthy veggies and fruits, the better. Additionally, I recommend that you choose dark leafy vegetables for your beardies. This can help them grow and thrive longer.
Related Article: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Grapefruit?
What Greens Are Good for Bearded Dragons?
There are a variety of greens you can feed to your bearded dragons. But there are actually a few that I regularly offer to my beardies.
Below are some of them:
- All varieties of Kale
- Mustard greens
- Collard greens
- Bok Choy
- Arugula
- Basil
These are just a few. The truth is that the list is longer than this. There are many healthy greens you can add to the beardies’ salad.
But again, always be careful and remember that bearded dragons’ health does not like foods with oxalic acid. Oxalates can definitely cause health issues in beardies.
Other foods are totally dangerous to bearded dragons. Below are some of them:
- Avocado
- Rhubarb
- Spinach
- Citrus
Avocado contains toxic materials that are fatal to bearded dragons. Even a small amount can be detrimental to your beardies’ health. A large amount is fatal. So do NOT give your reptile avocado ever.
Read Full Article: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Avocado? (Facts You Should Know)
Rhubarb is another toxic food for bearded dragons. It contains a high amount of toxic substances. Like avocado, rhubarb is fatal if ingested by bearded dragons.
Spinach, on the other hand, is not totally toxic to bearded dragons. The main reason why it is not a recommended food for bearded dragons is that it has no nutritional value for reptiles.
Lastly, citrus or fruits that have high citric acid content. Oranges are examples of citrus. Citric acid is not good for the beardies’ digestive system. In fact, if bearded dragons eat citrus regularly, they could potentially suffer from potential health issues.
What Insects or Lives Animals Are Good for Bearded Dragons?
Bearded dragons need a balanced diet. A balanced diet includes a good combination of greens, fruits, and live insects.
For years of having bearded dragons, I learned how tricky or sometimes difficult it is to choose the right food for reptiles, especially when choosing insects.
This is because, like greens and fruits, not all insects are safe and healthy for beardies. Some insects are in fact toxic to bearded dragons.
But there are a few that I can recommend for your beardies. Below are some of the live feeders you can offer to your reptiles too.
They are:
- Super worms
- Dubia roaches
- Silkworms
- Hornworms
There are many live feeders you can feed to your bearded dragons. However, it is very important to remember that when feeding these animals, make sure to consider the size of the bearded dragon.
The bigger the reptile means the bigger chunks of foods they can easily take. The other way to say it is to take the size of the mouth of the dragon into consideration. Remember that beardies are prone to choking and impaction if ingested hard foods.
The most common practice when it comes to feeding beardies is through considering the distance between their two eyes. That space is an indicator of the right size of food that bearded dragons can eat without having any digestive problem.
Beardies are not good chewers. There is a high chance that they just swallow foods without thoroughly chewing them. But this may cause issues in them.
So my recommendation is that when feeding big worms (e.g. super worms) always consider the size of the reptile. I only feed super worms to my adult beardies and not to the baby and juvenile.
This is the best way to keep your dragon healthy and safe from digestive issues.
Final Thoughts on Can Bearded Dragons Eat Snow Peas?
Bearded dragons can eat snow peas on an occasional basis. This is mainly due to the oxalate and disproportionate calcium-to-phosphorus ratio they have.
Snow peas also have high water content something that is not good for regular feeding. As a rule of thumb, avoid feeding bearded dragons with watery foods because beardies can suffer from diarrhea from eating those foods.
Always go for the safest route. You can take my recommended safe foods in this post to keep your bearded dragons safe and healthy.
I hope this helps. Thank you very much for reading.
