Bearded Dragon Feeding Chart by Age
Last updated: · Reviewed against sources listed below
This bearded dragon feeding chart shows how much to feed a bearded dragon at every age. Babies and juveniles eat insects once or twice a day, and adults only two or three times a week, with greens making up about 80% of an adult’s diet.
Feeding plan
- Per feeding
- How often
- Buy per week
- Insects : greens
This is the same calculator as our lizard insect feeding calculator, preset for bearded dragons.
Bearded Dragon feeding chart
Counts are per feeding, written for appropriately sized crickets. Offer the insects for 10–15 minutes and remove what is left.
| Age | Insects per feeding | How often | Insects : greens |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baby 0–3 months | 10–20 | 1–2 times a day | 80% : 20% |
| Juvenile 4–11 months | 10–20 | 1–2 times a day | 60% : 40% |
| Sub-adult 12–17 months | 10–15 | 3–5 times a week | 30% : 70% |
| Adult 18+ months | 10–15 | 2–3 times a week | 20% : 80% |
Baby bearded dragon feeding schedule
From hatching to about 3 months, a baby bearded dragon grows fast and needs protein. A typical baby bearded dragon feeding schedule is one or two insect feedings a day, each lasting 10–15 minutes, with a small dish of finely chopped greens available every day. About 80% of the diet is insects at this age.
Pick small insects: crickets or dubia roaches no longer than the space between your dragon’s eyes. Dust insects with calcium at most feedings and follow a supplement schedule for D3 and multivitamins. Many babies ignore greens at first. Keep offering them daily; the habit pays off later.
Juvenile and sub-adult feeding
Between about 4 and 11 months, feedings stay at once or twice a day while the diet shifts to roughly 60% insects and 40% greens. From 12 to 17 months most dragons do well on insects three to five times a week and a daily salad.
This is the stage where many dragons become picky or overweight. If your juvenile refuses greens, try offering the salad first in the morning when it is hungriest, and feed insects later in the day.
How much to feed an adult bearded dragon
From about 18 months, an adult bearded dragon needs insects only two or three times a week, about 10–15 per feeding. The rest of the diet, roughly 80%, is fresh greens and vegetables offered daily. Adults fed insects every day often become obese, which strains the liver and shortens life.
A good rule of thumb for adults: a salad roughly the size of the dragon’s head each day, and a few insects on insect days. Weigh your dragon monthly and compare it with the growth chart.
Feeding tips
- Gut-load insects. Gut-loading means feeding your insects nutritious food for 24–48 hours before offering them, so your dragon gets those nutrients too.
- Feed in the warm part of the day. Dragons digest best after basking. Avoid feeding in the last couple of hours before lights out.
- Use a water dish and misting sparingly. Most water comes from food. A shallow dish is fine; keep humidity around 30–40%.
- Watch the poop. Regular, well-formed droppings are a good sign. Undigested insects or runny stools can mean it is too cool or there is a health problem.
When to call a vet
See a reptile vet if your bearded dragon stops eating for more than two weeks outside of brumation (a winter slowdown similar to hibernation), loses weight, has swollen limbs or a soft jaw, trembles, or has runny or bloody droppings. These can be signs of metabolic bone disease, parasites or impaction. Do not try to treat these at home.
What bearded dragons can and can’t eat
Good foods
- Collard, mustard and turnip greens (staples)
- Dandelion greens and flowers
- Squash (butternut, acorn), grated
- Bell pepper, green beans (occasionally)
- Crickets, dubia roaches, black soldier fly larvae
- Small amounts of fruit such as berries or papaya (treat)
Avoid
- Fireflies and wild-caught insects
- Avocado and rhubarb
- Iceberg lettuce (little nutrition)
- Spinach and kale as daily staples (binds calcium)
- Superworms for babies; mealworms as a staple
- Insects bigger than the space between the eyes
Frequently asked questions
How often do bearded dragons eat?
Babies and juveniles eat insects once or twice a day, and adults two or three times a week. Greens should be offered every day at every age. As dragons mature, the share of greens rises from about 20% to about 80% of the diet.
Can bearded dragons eat fruit?
Yes, but only as a treat. Fruit is high in sugar and can cause diarrhea and weight gain. Small pieces of berries, mango or papaya once or twice a week are fine for most adults. Most of the plant part of the diet should be leafy greens and vegetables.
How long can a bearded dragon go without eating?
A healthy adult can go a couple of weeks without food, and longer during brumation, when it is dormant in winter. Babies and juveniles cannot, because they are growing. A young dragon that stops eating for more than a few days, or any dragon that is losing weight, should see a reptile vet.
Sources
- VCA Animal Hospitals — Bearded Dragons: Feeding
- Merck Veterinary Manual — Reptiles (Pet Owner Version)
- ReptiFiles — Bearded Dragon Food
- VCA Animal Hospitals — Bearded Dragons: Owning
Where sources disagree we show the range they share. See our sources and methodology for how every number is checked.