Bananas are a favorite fruit to eat among reptiles and humans alike. These fruits are found all over the world and can grow in almost any region. Due to their popularity, bananas can be found at any grocery store. Most people enjoy eating bananas for their nutrition and they’ll buy a few of them to eat at home. Since bearded dragons are omnivores, you may wonder if you can feed them bananas or not.
So, can bearded dragons eat bananas? Bearded dragons can eat bananas and they are safe for them. However, due to the high sugar content, bananas should be fed to them occasionally.
In this short guide, we’ll be going through which part of the bananas is safe for them, how to feed them to your bearded dragons, and what to avoid. If these are the information you’re looking for, keep reading.
Is Bananas Safe For Bearded Dragons?
Bananas are relatively safe for bearded dragons to eat. However, they should be fed to them occasionally and not as a substitute for their staple food.
This is due to the high phosphorus content to calcium ratio. Also, the sugar content in bananas is very high.
All of these nutrients will not harm your bearded dragons, but too much of it can.
Typically, feeding them too many bananas can cause them to suffer from health problems such as obesity and fatty liver disease. Both of these ailments could become very serious and death could even occur.
If bananas are fed to them in moderation, it won’t harm your bearded dragons. Bananas make a great tasty treat and should be fed to once or twice a month.
Can Baby Bearded Dragons Eat Bananas?
When it comes to baby bearded dragons, they too can eat bananas. Again, you’ll want to feed them in moderation as well.
At this age, their diet should consist of 80% animal protein and 20% plant protein.
Therefore, bananas should only be fed to them occasionally. Besides bananas, you should also feed them other fruit as well. At this age, this is when it’s easiest to train them to eat different fruits.
Bearded dragons are very stubborn creature and they can be picky when it comes to food, especially fruits. Getting them to start eating different fruits at an early age, will prevent them from being picky eater later in life.
For baby bearded dragons, to get them to eat bananas, put small sliced bananas into a salad. This can be mixed with other fruits or vegetables.
What Can Bearded Dragons Benefits From Eating Bananas?
Nutritional Value
Nutrients in Banana | Amount |
---|---|
Water | 75% |
Vitamin A | 1ug |
Vitamin C | 12.3mg |
Calcium | 5mg |
Fiber | 1.7g |
Potassium | 358mg |
Phosphorus | 22mg |
Protein | 1.1 grams |
Ca:P Ratio | 3:1 |
Boosts Reproduction & Immune System
Bananas are rich in vitamin A, B1, B6, and C. All of these vitamins helps boost reproduction and immune system in bearded dragons.
Vitamin A helps a bearded dragon by maintaining good vision and overall eye health. It also helps strengthen the immune system. This will prevent the bearded dragons from getting sick.
As for the reproductive system, vitamin A helps maintain a healthy reproductive system in both male and female bearded dragons. For female beardie, during pregnancy, vitamin A helps ensure normal growth and development of embryos.
Prevents Constipation & Lowers Coronary Heart Disease
Bananas are loaded with antioxidants and fiber. The antioxidants help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart problems for your bearded dragon.
As for fibers, bananas are one of the fruits that is a rich source of it. This helps maintain a healthy digestive system. It can help prevent constipation and help with bowel movement.
Regulates Bodily Functions
Bananas are rich in potassium, which helps maintain many bodily functions. One of them is water tension.
Potassium is the main mineral that’s responsible for regulating fluid balance. It helps lower water retention to keep your pet bearded dragon healthy.
Besides reducing water retention, potassium aids muscle function and prevent kidney problems.
Calcium Deficiency From Eating Too Banana
For a bearded dragon, eating too much banana can be very dangerous for them. Bananas are naturally high in phosphorus which binds with calcium. This binding prevents the body from absorbing the calcium that bearded dragons need to survive.
Without enough calcium being absorbed into their body, they will become calcium deficient. This will weaken their bones and cause Metabolic Bone disease.
Some of the signs your bearded dragon is suffering from MBD:
- Shaking limbs or tremors
- Unable to stand up
- Softening jaw and face bones
- Weakness and fatigue
- Hiding more than usual
- Stunted growth
- Paralysis
- Swollen rear legs
If you feed bananas to your bearded dragon occasionally, you should never have to worry about this problem. Once or twice per month is enough for them.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Banana Peels?
Banana peels can be fed to your bearded dragons and it’s actually very nutritious for them. The peel of the banana contains a high amount of vitamin B6 and B12, as well as magnesium, and some fiber and protein.
When feeding them banana peels, always make sure to clean them thoroughly first. This means running them under fresh water for about 10 seconds. Doing so will remove any debris or parasites that may be on the banana peels.
Once it’s cleaned, cut the peels into tiny pieces. Each piece of the peel should be the size of their eyes. Any larger could cause them to choke on the peel.
Depending on your bearded dragon, some may eat the peel itself and some will eat the peel if the flesh is attached to it. You’ll have to give it a try and see which they prefer better.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Dried Banana?
Bearded dragons can eat dried bananas, but it’s not really healthy for them. Dried fruits including bananas have a higher content of sugar than fresh fruits.
Fresh bananas tend to contain significant amounts of natural sugar in them. When the bananas are dried, they have all of the water removed from them. This will leave a concentration of sugar in a much smaller package. For this reason, dried bananas will have very high sugar content, both glucose, and fructose.
For bearded dragons, too much sugar in their system could lead to health issues. One of the biggest health issues for bearded dragons in captivity is obesity.
When too much food, especially those high in fat and sugar content, combined with lack of exercise, it will all lead to obesity.
Another health issue could be fatty liver diseases. This is when there are too much sugar and fatty deposits building up in their liver.
Both obesity and fatty liver diseases are dangerous and could lead to death.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Banana Chips?
Banana chips are safe for bearded dragons to eat, but it’s not healthy for them. Besides the high sugar content it has already, these food have additional content of sugar to them. Banana chips are usually coated with honey and other preservatives. This is needed to keep the chips crispy and lock in the flavors.
Besides sugar content, banana chips also have salt added to them. For a bearded dragon, too much salt is bad for their health too.
If you really want to feed banana chips to your bearded dragon, they can eat them once a month. Feed them only 1 or 2 chips as a treat.
How Much And How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Bananas?
For baby bearded dragons, you should feed them bananas once a month. They should only be fed a small number of bananas at each feeding. Be sure to cut the banana into tiny pieces. This will prevent them from choking on it and will be easier for them to digest it.
For juvenile bearded dragons, they can be fed bananas once a week. At eat feeding, you can give them an entire banana to your bearded dragon. Make sure to cut the banana into small pieces, no larger than their eyes.
For adult bearded dragons, you should feed them bananas once or twice a month. You can feed them an entire banana at each feeding. Again, cut the banana into small pieces to help them digest it and prevent choking.
How To Feed Bananas To Bearded Dragons
With a banana, there are different ways you can feed your bearded dragon. Depending on your bearded dragon, each will have their own taste and how they want to eat it. Below are some options you can try:
Sliced with peel – Some beardie like to eat the peel as well. If so, slice the banana into small pieces with the peel attached. Make sure to slice them into small pieces no larger than their eyes. Place each piece into the food bowl alone or with other fruits and vegetables.
Sliced without peel – There are some bearded dragons that don’t enjoy eating banana peel at all. If that’s the case, slice the bananas into small pieces and place them into their food bowl. You can feed them banana just by itself or make a healthy salad with other fruits and vegetables.
Unsliced without peel – This is another option you can try with bananas. Simply peel the skin of the banana and place half of it in their food bowl. Bananas generally last for a few days before they start going back. For the safety of your beardie, after a couple of hours, any uneaten bananas should be discarded.
Hand-feeding – This is a great option to bond closer with your bearded dragon. Simply slice a small piece of banana and place it on your fingertip. Gently move it toward your beardie and they’ll take it off your finger. Be warned though, they may accidentally bite your finger. If they do, it will be just a nip and won’t cause any damage to your finger.
Conclusion
As you can see, bananas are great for feeding your bearded dragon. They are nutritious and tasty for your reptile. Bananas are safe for them to eat, but only in small numbers. This sweet fruit should be treated as a treat for them and if fed occasionally, the bearded dragons will be happy and healthy.