What Type of Fruit Can Bearded Dragons Eat? Vet-Approved Treats

By Chantelle Fowler

Updated on Aug 9, 2024

leatherback bearded dragon

Vet approved

Reviewed & Fact-Checked By

Dr. Amanda Charles

Veterinarian, BVSc GPCert (Derm) MRCVS

The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.

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Feeding your bearded dragon isn’t like feeding a cat or dog. It has very particular dietary needs, and they don’t sell canned beardie food at the pet store to make it easy on you. You know your pet needs insects and vegetables for a balanced diet, but did you know you can offer fruits in small amounts? Fruit should not be a staple, however, and it is high in sugar and low in nutritional value. It’s better for your beardie to have greens and insects make up most of its diet.

If you’re new to offering fruit to your pet, read on to learn which are the best and which you should avoid.

13 Fruits That Bearded Dragons Can Eat

As mentioned above, fruits should be fed very sparingly. The high sugar content can lead to obesity, eventually contributing to other health problems for your beardie. In addition, one study found that fruit in a pet bearded dragon’s diet was a significant risk factor for dental abnormalities and diseases.

Below are some of the best fruit options to offer your beardie:

1. Apricots

sliced apricots — Image Credit: Anastasiya Kunaeva, Shutterstock

This orange-yellowish fruit is a good source of vitamin C, helping boost the bearded dragon’s overall immune system. Apricots should only be fed as a rare treat due to the sugar content but they also contain a disproportionate calcium-to-phosphorus ratio.

2. Dates

Dates are high in nutrients, potassium, and magnesium, all of which are important for a bearded dragon’s health.

3. Raspberries

baskets of raspberries — Image Credit: Couleur, Pixabay

These yummy berries contain loads of vitamins C, K, and E, helping them with their muscle and bone health.

4. Strawberries

Strawberries are a great choice for bearded dragons because they have a high water content, with lots of vitamin C and calcium.

5. Figs

Like strawberries, figs have a high calcium content, which is beneficial for the bearded dragon.

6. Pears

sliced pears — Image Credit: Ahanov Michael, Shutterstock

This yummy fruit has lots of essential vitamin K, which helps in cell growth. They are also high in oxalates which can cause calcium depletion so should only be fed very occasionally.

7. Apples

apple slices — Image Credit: PIX1861, Pixabay

Apples contain vitamin A and C along with good fiber content, aiding in healthy bowel movements. Apples are one of the safer fruits for beardies to eat on a more regular basis.

8. Kiwis

sliced and whole kiwis — Image Credit: stevepb, Pixabay

Kiwis are an excellent source of antioxidants.

9. Melons

bowl of watermelon pieces — Image Credit: MaraZe, Shutterstock

Not only are melons high in vitamin C but they also have a good amount of beta-carotene.

10. Mango

sliced mango — Image Credit: toodlingstudio, Pixabay

Mangoes are a good source of potassium, which helps bearded dragons with muscle function.

11. Peaches

sliced peaches — Image Credit: Johnny Lemonik, Shutterstock

Give your bearded dragon a small piece of peach because it has a high water and fiber content.

12. Blueberries

a bowl of blueberries — Image Credit: Free-Photos, Pixabay

While blueberries may be small, these little berries contain antioxidants and vitamin C and K1.

13. Papaya

papaya slices — Image Credit: Food Shop, Shutterstock

Papaya is a good source of fiber.

What Fruits Shouldn’t Be Fed to a Bearded Dragon?

Not all fruits are safe to offer your bearded dragon even in small quantities.

Some of the fruits you should avoid feeding your lizard include:

Avocados contain persin, a toxin that makes avocados poisonous to animals.
Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid, which can bind with calcium and affect how it’s absorbed into the bloodstream.
Oranges and other citrus fruits contain citric acid, which can irritate your beardie’s stomach lining and digestive tract. They also contain oxalic acid which can bind with calcium causing low calcium levels and metabolic bone disease.

What Should a Bearded Dragon’s Diet Mainly Consist Of?

Your beardie’s diet should be mostly plants, vegetables and insects. Adult beardie’s diets should be around 40% live invertebrates and 60% greens. Young bearded dragons need more live food.

Insects

Young, growing beardies tend to eat a much more carnivorous diet than their adult counterparts. It’s not unusual for babies to eat up to 80 crickets a day. Adults focus more on getting their greens in, though they’ll still need to eat insects for protein.

The best insects for beardies include crickets, dubia roaches, and mealworms. You can also offer nutrient-rich silkworms and hornworms. Waxworms and superworms aren’t recommended as a staple as they’re high in fat.

Gut load all the insects you offer. This means feeding them nutritious food that’ll get passed onto your lizard when it eats the bugs.

bearded dragon eating an insect — Image By: Jan Hejda, Shutterstock

Vegetables

Young beardies take some time getting acclimated to veggies, but you must continue offering different varieties as it is essential to their diets.

Some of the most nutritious staple greens to include in your beardie’s diet are:

Collard greens
Arugula
Dandelions
Mustard greens
Spring mix
Turnip greens
Escarole

You can offer the following vegetables and greens as well but less often:

Bok Choy
Basil
Kale
Parsley
Cilantro
Watercress
Squash (raw)

Conclusion

Fruit can be a fun treat to offer your beardie occasionally, but we don’t recommend that it be a part of your pet’s daily diet. A few small pieces of fruit per month will suffice. Offering the most nutrient-dense fruits so you know your beardie gets the biggest nutritional bang for its buck.

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Featured Image Credit: Ery Azmeer, Shutterstock