Best Worms to Feed Your Bearied
Are you a new bearded dragon owner looking to learn more about its diet?
Do you want to feed your bearded dragon the best food for a healthy life?
Then it's essential to know all about the best foods for bearded dragons.
As omnivores, they need a balance of vegetation and proteins.
Proteins consist of insects and worms, and of these two, worms are the ones you probably know about the least.
So, what are the best worms for baby bearded dragons?
The best worms for bearded dragons are ones that are smaller than the space between their eyes, packed with healthy proteins and fats, and sold and farmed, especially for reptiles and bearded dragons.
Read on for more information on specific worms and how to take care of your baby dragon.
Brief Overview Of Bearded Dragon Diet And Feeding
The exact varied diet you feed your bearded dragon depends on their stage in life.
Young bearded dragons need a diet with more live insects & protein, but an older bearded dragon needs more plant life than protein.
A young pet bearded dragon needs a diet of 30% plant life and 70% proteins (which include insects and worms).
Adult bearded dragons are the opposite at 70% plant life and 30% protein.
For quick reference, see this table on what and how often to feed bearded dragons.
| Age | Diet Ratio | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 0-3 Months | 70% Insect 30% Veg | 30–80 Insects Per Day |
| 3-8 Months | 70% Insect 30% Veg | 30–80 Insects Per Day |
| 8-12 Months | 70% Insect 30% Veg | 30–80 Insects Per Day |
| 12+ Months | 30% Insect 70% Veg | 50 Insects Per Week |
| Age | Feeding Frequency |
|---|---|
| 0-3 Months | 3-5 Feedings Daily |
| 3-8 Months | 2 Feedings Daily |
| 8-12 Months | 1 Feeding Daily |
| 12+ Months | 1-day salad, 1-day insect, 1 day nothing, and repeat |
Note: All insects should be smaller than the distance between the bearded dragon's eyes.
This prevents injury from eating.
Check out our post on how often to feed bearded dragons for more details on frequency through different stages of your pet's life, along with specific food type guidelines.
How To Feed A Bearded Dragon
There's a proper way to feed your bearded dragon safely, which we describe in this section.
Never feed your bearded dragon any insect or worm larger than the distance between their eyes.
This can cause the food to get stuck and put pressure on their spine, which causes paralysis and, in some cases, death.
Start by placing the food in the enclosure in front of the bearded dragon.
As the bearded dragon eats it, keep putting more food in front of it.
Feed it from your hand if you'd like to.
Just make sure you hold the food out far enough to avoid getting your fingers nipped.
The bites don't hurt much, but it's still something you want to avoid.
Although if you are bitten, we have a post on what to do after a bearded dragon bite to help.
Keep giving younger bearded dragons food until they stop eating.
When it finishes eating, you should stop putting food out.
Give your baby beardies a few minutes before taking the food out of the enclosure (he may come back to eat more).
If the reptile moves on to something else like basking, remove the food.
If you leave the food in there, it could spoil and cause health problems if your lizard eats it.
Pro-tip: Have what you're planning to feed the bearded dragon set out ahead of time.
List Of The Best Worms For Bearded Dragons
Bearded dragons are one of those types of creatures that will try to eat pretty much anything.
This doesn't mean everything is safe for them to eat.
It's important to know what kinds of worms are safe for bearded dragons and those which offer the most health benefits.
This section lists the best worms for bearded dragons and anything you may need to know about them.
Here is a quick list of the worms we recommend for your bearded dragon's diet.
Details follow below for each staple food:
- Butterworms
- Hornworms
- Mealworms
- Superworms (morio worms)
- Phoenix worms
- Silkworms
- Waxworms
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Butter Worms
Butterworms, also known as trevo worms, are a staple feeder insect of a dragon's diet.
They are high in calcium and can be kept in the fridge for a long time.
Then, gut load them before feeding for more nutrition.
Note: Gut loading can be done with all live worms and insects.
When you gut load, you provide the insects or worms nutrient-dense food the day before feeding them to your bearded dragon.
Hornworms
Hornworms are a type of caterpillar that can grow up to 4″ inches long.
These are popular with bearded dragons because their movement draws them in to eat quickly, and they're packed with calcium and water.
These are often given as a special treat or snack because they're more expensive.
We have an article dedicated to how many hornworms to feed bearded dragons for more information on this feeder insect.
Meal Worms
The mealworm is often a staple live food for both the adult bearded dragon and baby bearded dragon, but they shouldn't be.
If you ever had a reptile in your high school science class, you probably fed them mealworms.
Mealworms are high in fat and low in protein, which can cause obesity in bearded dragons if fed too much.
These should not be fed to young bearded dragons.
As a treat, though, bearded dragons love their flavor and will gobble them up.
Super Worms
Superworms are a healthier version of mealworms.
They have more protein and less fat, but they're still low in calcium.
As a treat or snack, this is a healthier alternative to mealworms.
I recommend only feeding your young bearded dragon superworms once a week.
Here's our article on how many superworms to feed bearded dragons for a more detailed guide.
Phoenix Worm
Phoenix worms are a great choice as the staple worm for your bearded dragon.
They're high in calcium, protein, and phosphorus, which they don't need to be gut-loaded.
And even if you do your best to get your pet enough calcium, they often need more so, here's our guide to the best calcium supplements for your bearded dragon.
Silkworms
Silkworms are very small, but they're also packed with nutrients like:
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Vitamins B1, B2, B3
- Sodium
- Calcium
These are great for young bearded dragons.
Wax Worm
Waxworms are another treat feeder insect.
Unfortunately, they're large, making them only suitable for adult bearded dragons and high in fat.
Woah! Look at this!
Conclusion
Nevertheless, worms are an essential part of a healthy reptile's diet.
But it's important to know what the best worms for your juvenile bearded dragon are as a responsible bearded dragon owner.
Ensure the worms you use are high in nutritional content and are always smaller than the space between the bearded dragon's eyes.
Source: https://oddlycutepets.com/best-worms-for-baby-bearded-dragons/
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