Cantaloupe is a popular fruit that is often served as a dessert. This unique melon has a sweet taste, but also many health benefits. The flesh of cantaloupe contains numerous nutrients, including vitamins A and C, beta-carotene, potassium, and even some B vitamins. For humans it’s safe to eat, but can bearded dragons eat cantaloupe as well?
Yes, bearded dragons can eat cantaloupe. The fruit is packed with nutrition that your beardie can benefit a lot from. While it’s highly nutritious, it also contains a high amount of water and sugar. Both of these are harmful to them in large amounts. To prevent your beardie from having any health issues with eating cantaloupe, only give them a small piece, once or twice per month.
Is It Healthy For Bearded Dragons To Eat Cantaloupe?
Cantaloupe is a favorite food for bearded dragons due to its sweet flavors. It contains high amounts of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and natural sugar that are beneficial to the health of the bearded dragon.
Nutrition Facts
Amount in 1 cup (177 g) contain the following:
- Energy (calories) 60.2
- Carbohydrate (g) 14.4
- Fiber (g) 1.6
- Calcium (mg) 15.9
- Iron (mg) 0.4
- Magnesium (mg) 21.2
- Phosphorus (mg) 26.6
- Potassium (mg) 473
- Sodium (mg) 28.3
- Selenium (mcg) 0.7
- Fluoride (mcg) 1.8
- Vitamin C (mg) 65
- Beta carotene (mcg) 3,240
- Vitamin A (mcg RAE) 270
- Folate (mcg DFE) 37.2
- Vitamin K (mcg) 4.4
Source: USDA
Below are some of the health benefits of feeding cantaloupe to your bearded dragon:
Strengthen The Immune System
Cantaloupe is an excellent source of vitamin C. Bearded dragons need plenty of this vitamin to strengthen their immune system. When their immune system is healthy, your beardie will be less likely to become ill.
Improve Digestion
Cantaloupe has a good amount of fiber, which is important for the digestive system. Fiber helps bulk up the stool, which will prevent constipation and help it move through the digestive tract smoothly.
Good For Hydration
Cantaloupe is a good source of water, which will help keep your bearded dragon hydrated. During the summer when it can get very hot, you can give them a few pieces of fruit to keep them from becoming dehydrated.
Can Baby Bearded Dragons Eat Cantaloupe?
Baby bearded can eat cantaloupe, but only on occasion. While this fruit is packed with nutrition, it doesn’t have all the nutrition to help your baby beardie grow strong and healthy.
At this age, they grow up very fast, and to help with their fast growth, they will need plenty of protein. For that reason, baby beardie should have about 70% of their diet made up of live food. This can include crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, and mealworms.
The other 20% should come from veggies such as kale, acorn squash, carrots, and bok choy. These vegetables can be offered to them 3 times a week or more.
As for fruits like cantaloupe, you can feed them to your baby beardie once or twice per month.
How To Feed Cantaloupe To Bearded Dragons
When it comes to cantaloupe, you’ll need to prepare them first before giving any to our beardie.
First, make sure that the cantaloupe is ripe and it’s preferable that it’s organic. Pesticides, herbicides, and other chemicals used to grow the fruit can cause harm to your beardie. If it’s not organic, you can feed them, but make sure to remove the rind since that’s the part where there’s a high concentration of the chemicals found.
Second, with a sharp knife cut the fruit in halves. Then scoop out all the seeds and peel the rind off. The seeds pose a choking hazard for your beardie, while the rinds are too tough for them to eat and digest.
Lastly, cut the cantaloupe into small pieces. It should be the size no larger than the diameter between both their eyes. You can serve the cantaloupe to your beardie just the fruit or mix it with other fruits.
How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cantaloupe?
Cantaloupe should be fed to your bearded dragons in moderation. The fruit is nutritious and doesn’t pose any health risk for your beardie.
However, cantaloupe cannot be fed to them too often. The reason for this is that cantaloupe has too much sugar and a high amount of water.
Too much sugar in their diet can cause them to develop health issues. It can cause your beardie to become overweight and have high blood pressure.
As for water, too much of it isn’t good for your beardie as well. Bearded dragons come from the desert environment where it’s mostly hot and dry. For that reason, their body doesn’t need a lot of water. Feeding them food high in water content like cantaloupe will cause your beardie to have digestive problems such as diarrhea and an upset stomach.
Therefore, to prevent any health issues arising from your beardie eating cantaloupe, you should give them a small piece, once or twice per month.
Other Fruit That Bearded Dragons Can Eat
Mango
Mango is one of the few fruits that can be fed to bearded dragons. To ensure your bearded dragon will remain healthy while eating mango, make sure you remove the pit and rind prior to feeding. Also, because mangos are naturally high in sugar, it’s important not to feed them more than two times a month.
Honeydew
Bearded dragons can eat honeydew, but only rarely and in small amounts. Honeydew is extremely high in sugar and it will cause your bearded dragon to become very sick if he eats too much of it. It’s also important to make sure the source of the honeydew you give your bearded dragon is healthy and clean, otherwise, he will get sick from bacteria or other contaminants in the food as well.
Papaya
Papaya is a fruit that bearded dragons can eat. However, they should not be fed too often due to the high amount of sugar and water content. That way, you prevent them from developing any digestive problems that might come as a result of eating too much of this food.
Conclusion
Cantaloupe makes a tasty treat for your beardie and they enjoy eating it due to their sweet taste. Since this fruit is high in water and sugar, only give them a small piece on occasion.
