Bearded dragons can eat watermelon as long as you prepare it for them ahead of time. Remove the outside layer, and be sure to cut it into bite-sized pieces for your pet. While other fruits have more nutrition, watermelon is perfectly edible for bearded dragons and an excellent choice for a treat.
This article looks at how you can feed watermelon to your bearded dragon and how often they should be eating it. It will also discuss whether they get enough nutrition from eating watermelon, in addition to the other foods that should supplement their diets.
Is Watermelon Part of the Natural Diet of Bearded Dragons?
Even though bearded dragons have become wildly popular pets, there’s still a lot to learn about their natural diets. Some studies have been done to determine what they eat in the wild, but not all pet owners are familiar with this. Some may wonder if bearded dragons eat watermelon in the wild.
Bearded dragons don’t typically eat watermelons in the wild. The reptiles are native to Australia, and their natural diets are composed mainly of bugs and plants that are also native to the country. These native plants typically consist of dark green vegetables.
While captive bearded dragons may eat fruit, most plants that they eat both in the wild and in captivity are vegetables.
Fruits help provide the bearded dragon’s diet with some extra water and nutrients, but the majority of the nutrients the reptiles need are found in vegetables. One advantage that watermelon does have is its substantial vitamin A content.
How Often Should You Feed Bearded Dragons Watermelon?
Watermelon is safe for bearded dragons, but it isn’t jam-packed with nutrients in the same way that many other fruits and vegetables are. This might leave you wondering how frequently you should be feeding your bearded dragon watermelon.
You should feed your bearded dragon watermelon approximately once a month. You can feed your bearded dragon watermelon mixed in with fruits and vegetables. Still, it’s best to limit watermelon to special occasions.
Certain nutrients are critical for your bearded dragon to be getting in its daily diet. Among the most important are the following:
- Calcium
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D3
While it does contain some vitamin A, watermelon doesn’t have essential nutrients like calcium or Vitamin D3.
Be sure to vary the vegetables and fruits your bearded dragon is regularly getting. Watermelon on its own doesn’t have everything your pet bearded dragon needs to survive.
By making sure your lizard has access to a diverse selection of fruits and vegetables, you can ensure its diet is as healthy as possible.
Believe it or not, the amount of watermelon you should be feeding your bearded dragon can also be impacted by the particular reptile’s life stage.
The following section addresses the changes that bearded dragons should experience in their diet throughout different life stages.
Adjust Your Bearded Dragon’s Diet According to Age
When you’re feeding your bearded dragon, one key factor to keep in mind is how old they are. Age significantly impacts a bearded dragon’s diet; before deciding if you should feed your bearded dragon watermelon, you should ask yourself, how old are they?
Young bearded dragons need significant amounts of protein. As a result, insects are the most important thing for them to eat.
Giving a young bearded dragon watermelon might not be best—they might fill up on the fruit in place of crucial components of their diet, like crickets.
Fruits and Vegetables To Include In a Bearded Dragon’s Diet
As your bearded dragon gets older, their appetite may decrease, and they might show more interest in certain foods, like fruits and vegetables.
There are numerous fruits and veggies to introduce to your aging bearded dragon. Some of these may include the following:
- Broccoli
- Green Beans
- Bell peppers
- Cabbage
- Chard
- Apples
- Pears
If you own an older Bearded Dragon, you may want to offer them watermelon from time to time. The advantage of giving them watermelon is that they get some critical vitamins from the fruit. Plus, since the fruit is predominantly water, your lizard is also getting adequately hydrated.
However, it’s essential to note that most other plants have much more nutritious ingredients, so watermelon should be considered more of an occasional treat than something that they rely on weekly. Refer to the list above for some nutritious foods to incorporate into your bearded dragon’s diet.
Should I Give My Bearded Dragon Watermelon-Flavored Candy?
When you want to feed your bearded dragon a fun treat, you may get creative in what you’d like to give them. While a bearded dragon can eat different things, there are many things that they can’t eat.
You should never give your bearded dragon artificial foods like candy. These aren’t part of their native diet, don’t have proper nutrition for them, are high in sugar, and could present a potential choking hazard.
Watermelon may be a safe food for your bearded dragon, but watermelon-flavored foods aren’t. Be sure to only feed your lizard actual watermelon and not candy or other snacks meant to taste like it.
How Should I Feed Watermelon to My Bearded Dragon?
If you want to surprise your Bearded Dragon with a watermelon snack, you need to prepare it ahead of time. Preparing a watermelon snack for your lizard is a fun thing you can do to pamper your pet, which doesn’t require much effort. So, how should you prepare watermelon for your Bearded Dragon?
You should feed watermelon to your bearded dragon by removing the outside layer of the fruit. This prevents choking and ensures no pesticides enter your lizard’s system. Cut the watermelon into small chunks so that it can chew and swallow them safely. You can also hold a wedge in your hand.
Some bearded dragons enjoy watermelon so much that they’ll eat it right from their owner’s hand!
This can be a fun bonding experience for you as the owner, especially if you trust your dragon to eat the watermelon directly from your fingertips.
Make sure that they don’t eat any of the watermelon rind (or any piece of your finger) if you try this somewhat advanced method.
For the less skilled or adventurous lizard parent, you can serve them small pieces without the watermelon rinds and watch them chow down on this fun snack.
Cutting the pieces ahead of time ensures safety for you and your bearded dragon when feeding watermelon.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Watermelon Seeds?
No, bearded dragons should not eat watermelon seeds. Black or white seeds can cause bearded dragons to choke.
This can cause digestive troubles as well as blocking. When you feed bearded dragon watermelon you need to remove all the seeds. If you don’t have the time to remove the seeds, there are seedless watermelons.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever been intrigued by whether or not a bearded dragon can eat watermelon, they can! Just make sure it isn’t the central part of their diet, as they need plenty of essential nutrients that watermelon doesn’t contain.
Limit watermelon to a treat you give them for fun or when you want to reward them. Avoid giving them too much watermelon as it contains too much sugar.
These are some of the Health benefits of watermelon as a part of your pet’s diet:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- High water content
