Can Bearded Dragons Eat Mealworms? 3 Benefits | Full Guide

Eating a live animal can be nasty. If you put the live animal in the mouth, it can develop a terrible sensation. Though, it is relatively dangerous too. If the animal stabs back, it will become hazardous in the future.

However, if we consider the jiggly worms mostly found in soil, their jiggling body is something that attracts the animals the most. Worms are an excellent diet for various animals like snakes, birds, and bearded dragons. Most of the time, everyone has encountered eating live worms by these animals.

Worms are rich in fats and proteins. They are the perfect snack for animals. However, the point to be noted is can bearded dragons eat mealworms? Will this jiggly structured animal be safe for them to eat? Let’s find an answer to this problem.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Mealworms?

Mealworms are not toxic to beardies, so bearded dragons can eat them in moderation. Worms are highly rich in protein and lower in calcium count. Many animals prefer them as it makes their diet healthy and tasty. Though mealworms are tasteless, they mostly taste like soil. However, eating live animals is liked by bearded dragons.

Beardies love to eat mealworms as it makes them fascinating and refreshing. Besides eating mealworms, beardies can also eat Kingworms, crickets, and small insects. 

The reason for this blockage is that mealworms are highly rich in fats, and this issue can increase the amount of fat in beardies. A large fat count harms the health of beardies since it can become dangerous. The high amount of fat deposition can impose risks of a heart attack.

How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Mealworms?

 It is better to give insects like mealworms, crickets, earthworms, etc., one time twice or thrice a week. For an adult beardie, adding an insect to the diet is not mandatory. Add vegetation to the diet to ensure the balance of diet requirements. If, somehow, the beardie is not eating properly. Then giving a mealworm could be refreshing for them. For the best results, try to provide mealworms as a treat to beardies.

3 Benefits Of Mealworms For Bearded Dragons

Every food item has its benefits. Some are rich in protein and calcium, while some are rich in other vital nutrients. Mealworms also have some advantages:

1: Excellent Fat Count

It is common to know that worms are rich in fats. They can fulfill the requirement of fats in the body of an organism. Mealworms are perfect for fulfilling the need for fats in the body. Fat count makes the body healthy. However, its high concentration can become dangerous and make the animal obese.

2: Right Amount Of Calcium

Mealworms are packed with 13.33 mg of calcium which is low. However, this amount is sufficient for mealworms to maintain the calcium level in their body. Calcium is a vital component required for adequate development in the body of an organism.

3: Acts as a Moisturizing Agent 

Mealworms are moist. Their skin is very hydrated. Mealworms are a good source of moisture in the body as they are buried deep in the soil. Their skin transports the oxygen intake. Mealworms have 62% hydration intact in them.

For hydrating the internal organs, mealworms are perfect buddies.

2 Risks of Feeding Mealworms to Bearded Dragons

There are many risks associated with mealworms as well. Some of the risks include the following:

1: Obesity Issue

Mealworms are rich in fats but comparatively lower in calcium and other vital nutrients. Due to this reason, beardies can become obese, and the reason for them to become obese is that they are pets for their owners.

Beardies are active animal who loves to run and roam freely. If they are kept in a cage, it will make them obese and slow.

2: Can Become Addicted

Mealworms can make beardies addicted to them. Eating a live animal rises the sensation of new things, so it can become habitual for beardies to eat live worms.

How to Feed Mealworms to Your Bearded Dragons?

Feeding beardies is not a hectic task, and bearded dragons are capable of grabbing their food item from anywhere with their tongue. 

Pick with a Tweezer and Sprinkle Calcium Powder

The best way to feed mealworms to beardies is by picking the mealworm with tweezers and offering beardies.

Also, the feeder can sprinkle some calcium powder over them to provide calcium for beardies. 

Offer Live

Offer some mealworms; their jiggling body attracts and draws the attention of beardies. It makes beardies move towards them and grabs them entirely from the source with their tongue. It is the best way to feed them with mealworms. Otherwise, simply offer them mealworms they can figure out on their own!

Conclusion

We have an answer can bearded dragons eat mealworms? Yes, beardies can eat meal worms but in moderation. Mealworms are the perfect food partners for bearded dragons. However, for maintaining the perfect health of beardies, it is a must to keep the number of feeding beardies in the required range such that by eating mealworms, beardies don’t become lazy and obese. 

Eating live insects is fascinating for every creature, and not every animal can digest every object on this earth.

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