Can Bearded Dragons Eat Tomatoes? Vet-Approved Facts & FAQ
By Beth Crane
Updated on
Bearded Dragons are one of the most popular reptiles to keep as pets, mostly because of their expressive faces and delightful personalities. They are omnivorous reptiles, meaning they can eat animal proteins like mealworms and vegetable matter. Beardies (as they’re affectionately known) can also enjoy the occasional fruit, and tomatoes are on the list of fruits owners can give them.
Bearded Dragons can eat tomatoes, but only occasionally! This article will look at how much tomato is the perfect portion for your beardie, which types of tomatoes are safe to eat, how to prepare them for your pet, and any health benefits tomatoes may bring them.
Are Tomatoes Safe for Bearded Dragons?
Tomatoes are the berries of the tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum), and they are completely safe to give your Bearded Dragon as long as they’re given as the occasional snack. Tomatoes aren’t toxic when they’re ripe and red, and there are many kinds of tomatoes your beardie can try.
Beef tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and regular salad tomatoes are a few, and each variety will have different nutritional values and slightly different tastes. Tomatoes can be fed either cooked or raw, but it’s better to feed your beardie raw tomatoes since cooking can remove some of the valuable vitamins and nutrients found in them.
How Much Tomato Can I Give My Bearded Dragons?
Bearded Dragons can have a small amount of tomato at a time. Usually, only a few slices (around a quarter of a whole regular tomato) are fine. Bearded Dragons need a balance of vitamins and minerals from their diet, much like other reptiles, so overfeeding a certain type or food can cause them real problems.
Because Bearded Dragons are omnivorous, they have a wide selection of food they can get all their nutrition from. Younger beardies will usually eat more animal protein when they’re growing because they need the additional protein. For older beardies, vegetation and flowers are more appreciated, including juicy fruits like tomatoes!
Bearded Dragons should eat a 50/50 split of vegetation and animal protein in their daily diet, which can be further split into how many leafy vegetables, flowers, and fruits they should eat in a day. The plant portion of an adult beardie’s diet should consist of around 80–90% leafy greens and flowers, with the remaining 10–20% being fresh fruit such as tomatoes (though ideally no more than 5%).
Giving your Bearded Dragon a few slices of tomato alongside a couple of other fruits should provide them with enough variety to entice them into eating, but make sure to mix it up and offer a wide variety of fruits other than tomato to round out their diet and nutritional intake.
How Do I Prepare Tomatoes to Give My Bearded Dragon?
The most important part of preparing fruits and vegetables for your Bearded Dragon is thoroughly washing them. Washing your beardie’s tomatoes will eliminate any waxes, pesticides, or bacteria on them, some of which can be harmful. Next, decide whether to give your beardie raw or cooked tomatoes (we recommend raw).
Slice the tomato into quarters, then chop them so your Bearded Dragon has no trouble scooping the pieces into its mouth. Lastly, make sure you mix the tomato with other fruits or veggies you’re using as a topping to prevent your beardie from only eating the foods they really like!
Are Tomatoes Good for Bearded Dragons?
Tomatoes can be good for Bearded Dragons, despite them only eating a small portion at a time. Tomatoes are rich in vitamin A and contain a healthy dose of calcium. Vitamin A is important for beardies; too little can cause metabolic problems. Vitamin A helps a beardie maintain their skin and keeps their eyes healthy.
Common signs of insufficient vitamin A can involve sores or lesions on the skin, inside the mouth, and around the eyes. It’s important to note that Bearded Dragons can also get too much vitamin A, known as hypervitaminosis A. This is dangerous since vitamin A is stored in the liver, and too much can cause liver damage.
Calcium is the most helpful mineral in tomatoes since Bearded Dragons, like all reptiles, need calcium to keep their bones and teeth healthy. Calcium also keeps other metabolic factors healthy, but it should be correctly balanced with phosphorus! Tomatoes are also low in oxalic acid, which is good news for Bearded Dragons since oxalic acid binds to calcium and can reduce the amount reptiles get from their food.
Are Tomatoes Toxic to Bearded Dragons?
The tomato’s flesh is not toxic, but all other parts of the tomato plant are! Tomato plants are part of the nightshade family of plants that also includes potatoes, and they produce a glycoalkaloid in their stems, leaves, vines, and flowers known as solanine.
Solanine is found in all parts of the tomato plant, but it’s concentrated in the “green” areas. Solanine is toxic to many animals, and the signs of solanine poisoning can vary from mild gastrointestinal upset to pain, anorexia, a decreased heart rate, and even coma! It’s best never to give or allow your Bearded Dragon to eat any part of the tomato plant except the red ripe tomato flesh, and never give them unripe green tomatoes.
Which Fruits Can I Give My Bearded Dragon?
There are many fruits that Bearded Dragons can enjoy as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Remember, fruits should only make up 10–20% of your beardie’s diet, but you can chop and change which ones you use to surprise them daily! Some of the most beneficial fruits packed with vitamins and minerals to give your Bearded Dragon include:
- Apricot
- Dates
- Raspberries
- Strawberries
- Figs
- Star Fruit
- Guava
Final Thoughts
Bearded Dragons can eat a variety of plant and animal-based foods, including tomatoes. Tomatoes are best given sparingly (the same as other fruits), and ensuring they’re washed and finely chopped can keep your beardie safe while they’re eating. Tomatoes provide good health benefits, including a boost of vitamin A and calcium. Bearded Dragons shouldn’t be given any green tomatoes or the stem, leaves, vines, or flowers of the tomato plant as they all contain a toxic substance called solanine.
Related Reads:
- Can Bearded Dragons Eat Bees? Vet Approved Facts & FAQ
- Can Bearded Dragons Eat Chocolate? Vet Approved Nutrition Facts
Featured Image Credit: Avin CP, Unsplash
