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Can Bearded Dragons Eat Grapes? What You Need to Know
Ashley Bates
February 16, 2021
Having a bearded dragon can be quite the learning experience, especially if you’re a first time owner. It’s natural to be wary about giving your bearded dragon something that could hurt them. When offering fresh food, you might look in your fridge and wonder if bearded dragons eat grapes, and the short answer is—yes, absolutely!
Your bearded dragon can enjoy washed, finely sliced grapes on occasion. But how many grapes can they eat? How often should they indulge? Are they nutritious for your dragon? Let us find out.
Bearded Dragons Can Eat Grapes in Moderation
Bearded dragons thrive best on an insect diet, but they can also eat fruits and veggies. Grapes are one of the fruits that’s a total thumbs up for your lizard. As long as you serve and portion each grape correctly, you won’t run into much of an issue.
How to Feed your Bearded Dragon Grapes
- Wash, wash, wash. Before you ever give your beardie a grape, make sure you wash the fruit thoroughly to remove any pesticide residue since this can make your lizard very ill.
- Make sure the grapes are room-temperature. It’s best not to feed your bearded dragon grapes right out of the fridge. Let the temperature drop before you shock their system with something too cold.
- Prevent choking risks. Cut the grape into small pieces, removing any stems or tough skins.
- Offer it the same way as other food. Use tongs or put the small grape pieces in their food dish.
Grape Nutritional Facts
In a serving of grapes, there are:
- Calories: 62
- Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Sugars: 15 g
- Protein: 6 g
Health Benefits of Grapes
Grapes have tons of qualities that are incredibly beneficial for your beardie. They are common in many varieties.
Grapes are known to:
- Help cognitive function—feeds the brain and creates sharp responses.
- Level blood sugar—regulates the right amount of sugar in the blood to prevent highs and lows.
- Provide powerful antioxidants—fights free radicals in the body.
- Regulate the digestive tract—keeps their digestion rolling at a moderate pace.
There’s no lack of variety in the grape world. Because there are different types of grapes, your bearded dragon might develop a preference for one over another.
Risks of Eating Grapes
Your beardie can enjoy grapes, but only 10% of your dragon’s diet should consist of fruit. The fruit is high in sugar, which can be unhealthy for your lizard long-term. Small doses are perfect and even necessary for their bodies.
What Do Beardies Need to Eat?
Bearded dragons primarily eat live, gut-loaded insects like crickets, mealworms, and waxworms. For an adult, you need to offer feedings every day. You should keep feeding your beardie until they’re finished—usually, around 10 crickets or worms total.
Insects should make up between 70 to 80% percent of their diet. Vegetables and leafy plants should make up about 20%—and the rest should be fresh fruits.
Grape Foods to Avoid
Bearded dragons eat fresh fruit only. There is some debate on whether some foods are acceptable in canned form—but grapes wouldn’t be among them. You have to especially be careful of canned foods when there is extra sugar or harmful preservatives.
Always avoid:
- Jams & jellies
- Candies
- Fillings
- Fruit salads
Basically, aim to offer fresh fruit with no exceptions. Any extras are unnecessary and potentially damaging for your beardie.
Bearded Dragons and Grapes: Final Thoughts
So, your bearded dragon could absolutely eat grapes. They can be very healthy, offering powerful nutrients and lots of moisture to your pet’s diet. Remember to steer clear of any additives to fresh grapes in the form of artificial flavors, sweeteners, sugars, and preservatives.
Also, keep in mind that they only need grapes in moderation and not as an everyday snack. Try to keep fruit feedings down to once per week, so you don’t upset the natural flow of things. If you follow the few precautions, your beardie can delight in grapes with no issue.
Featured Image: Shutterbug75, Pixabay
Ashley Bates is a freelance dog writer and pet enthusiast who is currently studying the art of animal therapy. A mother to four human children— and 23 furry and feathery kids, too – Ashley volunteers at local shelters, advocates for animal well-being, and rescues every creature she finds. Her mission is to create awareness, education, and entertainment about pets to prevent homelessness. Her specialties are cats and dogs.
Ashley Bates
Ashley Bates is a freelance dog writer and pet enthusiast who is currently studying the art of animal therapy. A mother to four human children— and 23 furry and feathery kids, too – Ashley volunteers at local shelters, advocates for animal well-being, and rescues every creature she finds. Her mission is to create awareness, education, and entertainment about pets to prevent homelessness. Her specialties are cats and dogs.