Earthworms might be a little harmless for your bearded dragon. However, they carry a wide variety of parasites and bacteria such as Platyhelminthes, Protozoa and Nematodes. Such microscopic creatures can harm a bearded dragon’s intestines and they could even lead to severe ailments that can lead to your bearded dragon’s demise. So, in case you’re thinking, ‘can bearded dragons eat earthworms‘, the answer is yes!
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CAN BEARDED DRAGONS EAT EARTHWORMS?
Bearded dragons can definitely eat earthworms, but it’s not really wise to give your dragon earthworms. Moreover, it’s never a great idea to provide bearded dragon insects to them as they have been collected from your backyard or the wild. Make sure to continue reading the article to get all the information about the reasons why you should not give earthworms to bearded dragons.
Some alternatives of earthworms include:
Other than worms, ask your local pet stores for what insects they have in stock for bearded dragons other than earthworms. Some famous food treats for bearded dragons are:
- Mealworms
- Crickets and dubia roaches
You can also give them fruit treats along with their regular green vegetables as a treat? The fruit options include:
- Apples and strawberry
- Grapes
- Bell peppers
Finally, some dragon owners provide their bearded dragons with even larger prey, including baby mice and smaller lizards directly from the pet store. These are their special treats for thanksgiving, birthdays, and for days when they behave nicely.
CAN LEOPARD GECKOS EAT EARTHWORMS?
The answer to this question is a NO. The geckos won’t really get hurt by ingesting the earthworms, but they will definitely turn their noses to them as they won’t really like the taste. The geckos do not love the fact that earthworms secrete when they are pressurized and they would definitely deny eating it. In case you wish to feed your leopard gecko with an earthworm, remember to not pick the ones that you have found in the wild or in your backyard. Earthworms that you have found in nature might have contacted certain heavy metals and chemicals and could be very injurious to your pet.
Also, you should also be extra careful about the fact that earthworms in nature consume huge amounts of organic materials. They consume almost everything, and some of those things might have been infected with bacteria, parasites, mold, and more.
Some Alternatives To Earthworms for Geckos are:
- Crickets are a great alternative for leopard geckos. You can easily seek them at any of the pet stores, as reptiles love crickets. You have to feed a lot of insects to them before you give them to your geckos. It is a procedure that lets you provide your geckos the maximum number of nutrients and proteins to your reptile pet as they consume it. You can do so by providing the crickets with a favorable cricket food, or a good slice of potato
- Waxworms and Mealworms are also a good option for leos. All you are required to do is put the mealworms into a feeding dish. And then let your leopard gecko eat them whenever they feel hungry. You just need to ensure that the bowl is clean and smooth so that the mealworms cannot try to go away
HOW MANY MEALWORMS TO FEED A BEARDED DRAGON?
When your bearded dragons are 18 months old or more, they clearly know how to digest those mealworms properly. But during this time, your dragons should consume more green vegetables as compared to the times when they were young. So, one can definitely give them mealworms once every week and you can even blend mealworms with their regular meals.
Mealworms can not be included in your dragon’s regular diet. Adult dragons can easily eat 4 to 6 mealworms every meal but not regularly. Giving bearded dragons with huge amounts of mealworms makes them fat. However, female dragons who are pregnant can be offered more food than normal.
SUPERWORMS FOR BEARDED DRAGONS
Well, super worms are very healthy and nutritious for bearded dragons. They are very rich in proteins and hydration. But, make sure to feed them in limited quantities as the phosphorus and fat content can be a matter of concern. They can be your beardie’s favorite treat if given in the right quantity. Some benefits of super worms for dragons are:
- Bearded dragons love to munch on super worms. Hence, they can be utilized to lure these picky eaters to consume their greens properly, and they’re also a great way to feed your pet with a special treat. However, due to their fat richness, they can be used to help the undernourished dragons to put on some healthy weight
- With 50% moisture, super worms are an amazing source of hydration for your pet dragon. Good hydration channel can assist in preventing diarrhea, gut impaction, dehydration, and other serious ailments present
- Super worms contain a lot of calcium and phosphorus. Moreover, they have about 13 times more phosphorus as compared to calcium. This can create a serious health risk for your pet dragons
Pro Tip: To stop gut impaction of your dragon caused due to the exoskeleton buildup, ensure that the feeder insects are not closer to your bearded dragon’s eyes.
HOW TO FEED SUPERWORMS TO YOUR DRAGON?
Before feeding super worms to your bearded dragons, clean them with calcium powder first, as it’s a great habit to practice any time before you provide your dragon with live insects. To give super worms to your bearded dragon, you are required to utilize tweezers and then feed them one after one, or you can simply put them into the feeding bowl. As an owner, you can also put the super worms in a trap so that your pet bearded dragon can easily hunt them. However, do not let the worms roam here or there as super worms can easily and quickly hide themselves in the substrate present and it can be then super tough to find them.
WRAPPING UP
The only goal is to create a happy and a peaceful life for your pets. Show them how much you actually care for them.
