Can Bearded Dragons Eat Hornworms? 3 Benefits | Full Guide

Feeding a live worm can be a decent idea for any beardie owner. Worms are healthy and full of vital nutrients required for the adequate growth of the animal. Bearded dragons are an exotic species that relies on proper food and a favorable environment for their growth. 

Bearded dragons are omnivore animals; they can eat meat and veggies with fruits. But can bearded dragons eat hornworms? Will hornworms be safe to eat? Hornworms can become a great complement to the diet.

A bearded dragon’s health requires water, calcium, and protein, which hornworms can easily fulfill. Let’s find out whether it is safe to feed hornworms to beardies.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Hornworms?

Yes, bearded dragons can eat hornworms. Hornworms are perfect for their health. Hornworms are small, jiggly worms that are loved by a beardie. Hornworms are the best source of protein, and these insects are blended into food to make the food for beardies healthier. However, it is essential to understand that such worms should be fed occasionally. It can become a perfect food partner after brumation as it is rich in calcium, water, and protein.

Bearded dragons will love to eat hornworms. However, if the feeder offers them live, it can add a great taste for bearded dragons, who love to eat live worms. 

How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Hornworms?

Adult bearded dragons should have 20-50 hornworms daily once a month. However, if the worms are fed occasionally, they should be 9-15 hornworms per week. It is great to feed your adult bearded dragons at least 3 to 5 times a week, and it is helpful if fed in a three-day rotation.

The most common doubt among beardie owners is how to feed a worm and how many times a month. It can also become a matter of concern if the feeder needs to know the feeding amount. If overfeeding is done, it can cause life-threatening issues to their bearded dragons.

If someone is new to feeding their bearded dragons, start with feeding veggies and fruits on day one. From the second day onwards, add some worms to the meal of bearded dragons. 

Taking precautions while feeding hornworms will not cause any problems to the health of beardies. The bearded dragons will remain healthy and active in their lives.

How Many Hornworms To Feed Bearded Dragons

A proper count for feeding hornworms should be around 20-50 hornworms in a month. If you want to feed them every week, 9-15 is the perfect count for them.

Bearded dragons are not required to be fed by worms daily. Instead of feeding hornworms regularly, try to add veggies and fruits into their diet. Bearded dragons require worms to eat on an occasional basis and are good diet partners. However, they will become a great treat if added in limited quantities. 

Sometimes if fed in huge quantities, it can cause organ failure, due to which the animal might die!

Other types of worms can also be added to the diet of beardies, like super worms, calci worms, etc.

3 Benefits of Hornworms for Bearded Dragons 

Young beardies tend to be more insectivores as compared to adults. Fulfilling them with food is an achievement. If feeders feed beardies the same diet, they will start getting bored. It is always suggested to add some bugs to the diet if beardies are a snack. They will love the crunchy, jiggly taste of insects. The following are the nutrient benefits for beardies:

1: Good Calcium Level Aids in Bone and Muscle Development

Bearded dragons require a good amount of calcium intake to sustain the adequate growth of bones and muscles. However, if the calcium count is low, the beardies are prone to face diseases such as metabolic bone disorders. Due to such issues, it is good to add calcium to their diet. Luckily hornworms are fueled with calcium, so they are the perfect calcium-fulfilling partners.

2: Nutritional Value Will Not Make Obese

There is no need to worry about fat intake for beardies. Bearded dragons will not become obese by eating worms. However, bearded dragon owners have to keep the animals safe by feeding them a proper quantity of worms in their diet. Although it is common for beardies to suddenly gain weight after consuming fats, only adequate management of fats is necessary. So, worms have good nutritional values for bearded dragons that aid in maintaining the pet dragon’s weight and overall good health.

3: Water Content Helps in Hydration

Bearded dragons need moisture to sustain the heat and other environmental changes. The best thing is hornworms get enriched with moisture content in their body. Bearded dragons are rich in water content, so they maintain the moisture level.

2 Risks of Feeding Hornworms to Bearded Dragons

There are also certain risks in feeding hornworms to bearded dragons. Such risks can become life-threatening. Better is to avoid them. The following are the risks of feeding hornworms to bearded dragons:

1: Low Levels of Protein Make it Not Good for Baby Beardies

Everyone knows that protein is essential in the development process of the bearded dragon. Hornworms have only a 9% of protein count in them. It can become a good thing for adult beardies as they don’t need high amounts of protein. However, baby beardies need a certain high amount of protein.

2: Moisture Content can Lead to Diarrhea

Bearded dragons require an excellent moisture content for proper growth. It is because if there is a low count of any nutrient, it will cause health issues. However, overfeeding moisture content can lead to diarrhea. 

How to Feed Hornworms to Your Bearded Dragons?

Feeding habits can improve the diet of beardies. Making them look around for food or puzzles can add up to the good nutritional value of their health. The feeder must consider a few things before feeding their bearded dragon. Bearded dragons love to eat insects, either live or dead.

Dangling Food, Good Stimulation

Worms are jiggly and slippery. Their locomotion is in a zig-zag style while moving on the ground. Hornworms show similar motion that makes beardies attentive to catch them. It makes beardies grab them with the help of their tongues. Insects are crunchy in taste which beardies like. So, pick the worms with tweezers and feed them.

Mix With Other Ingredients

Always mix worms with other food items to ensure a healthy diet. Adding fruits and veggies to maintain the nutrient level in the body of bearded dragons ensures a healthy diet for them. 

Try to add three to four items to the plate. Let the beardie choose what to eat first.

Conclusion

Feeding an animal can be satisfying yet challenging. Humans can also not eat certain food items due to the negative impacts on the body. The same applies to bearded dragons, also. Now we can conclude that bearded dragons will love to eat hornworms. The doubt on the query: can bearded dragons eat hornworms are answered. Feeding good quality things will maintain their health and add more years to the life of bearded dragons.

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