Can Bearded Dragons Eat Bananas Without Dying: Risks, Benefits, and How to Feed?

Bearded dragons can make your boring leisure entertaining and relaxing at home. But it comes with some responsibility. Choosing their diet requires much thought. For instance, can bearded dragons eat bananas?

Yes, bearded dragons can have bananas as an occasional food. It is a good source of water, protein, and energy. However, the fruit also contains a high amount of sugar, which is a concern. Feed bananas to bearded dragons once or twice a month. 

It requires careful feeding to ensure proper nutrition for reptiles. Depending on your practice, the fruit can be both beneficial and harmful. Let me help you with the proper feeding method that I follow for my reptile pet. 

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Banana?

Bearded dragons are not picky eaters and will eat almost anything you provide them. In my opinion, this is what makes it difficult. Since they eat anything, you often don’t know whether it is safe to feed them or not. Anyway, let’s get back to the point. Should you feed them bananas?

Like I said, you can feed them bananas. However, remember that fruits are not their primary food source. These lizards can survive well without eating any fruits at all. Do bearded dragons eat fruits in the wild? No, they don’t.

Fruits are not an essential nutrition source for bananas. If you are interested in feeding them bananas, make sure the amount is not too much. The existence of sugar is always a major concern. Since bananas contain a high amount of sugar, don’t feed them a whole banana at once. Heck, you must not feed them too frequently, either. I would say give them 1/4 of a banana once a week. Not more than that.

Nutritional Value of Banana

Allow me to share the nutritional value of bananas first so that you know why “Can bearded dragons eat bananas?” is an important question. 

Nutrients	Amount per 100 g
Water	74.9 g
Energy	371 kJ
Protein	1.09 g
Total Sugars	12.2 g
Calcium	5 mg
Magnesium	27 mg
Phosphorus	22 mg

How to Serve Banana to Bearded Dragons

I like to feed bananas to bearded dragons as they can be served in different ways. Here are some of the ways I give it to my beardies.

Method 1: Cut the Bananas

That’s it. Just take some bananas and cut them into small pieces so that beardies can have them. No need to peel them. It is one of the few fruits that do not need to be peeled, unlike watermelon. Serve the sliced bananas in a bowl alone, or you can add other fruits like strawberries to add flavor.  

Method 2: Remove the Peels

I don’t always feed my beardie the peels, especially when I am not sure about the source. Some farmers use pesticides in their fruits, which are harmful to bananas. You must wash the fruit properly with fresh water. After that, remove the peels. Then, slice them into small pieces. Mesh the bananas a bit if your pet is still a baby. 

Method 3: Unsliced Without Peel

Cutting the bananas is not mandatory either. Cut the fruit in half and put it into the cage of your beardie. Let it be there for a day. Check the next day and remove if it is still uneaten. Make sure the banana is not rotting in its enclosure. 

Method 4: Feed Like Babies

I like this one. Hand-feeding beardies is an enjoyable task. Peel the banana and hold it in front of your pet. It is a fun way of feeding. 

Benefits of Banana for Bearded Dragons

Bearded dragons can enjoy several benefits from eating bananas. Here are some pros of feeding bananas to bearded dragons. 

1. Keep Your Pet Attractive!

Bananas are more than 70% water. The water content can meet the necessary water these scaly reptiles need. Lack of water would make their eyes sunken, skin dried and wrinkled. By offering proper hydration, bananas ensure your scaly reptiles stay handsome and beautiful. 

2. Makes Your Pet Immune to Diseases

Bananas have a good amount of protein, enough for bearded dragons. Protein is a crucial nutrient that works to boost the growth of reptiles. Protein also plays an important role in strengthening the immune system. It saves beardies from being vulnerable to diseases. 

3. Keeps Beardies Active

Bananas are a good source of energy. It offers 371 kJ of energy per 100g. This much energy is enough to keep them strong and active. I noticed a boost of energy and activeness in my beardie whenever I fed him this delicious and nutritious food. 

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Bananas Daily?

No. Despite being a healthy fruit, there are some risks associated with bananas for any reptile. That is why I suggested that you not feed them bananas regularly. Here are the reasons why your bearded dragons cannot eat bananas regularly. 

1. Too Much Sugar for A Reptile

Don’t forget that the bearded dragon is a reptile. They do not need sugar. In fact, their digestive system is not suitable to deal with sugar. In simpler words, the sugar content is not going to be digested. This can lead to several issues, such as:

• Obesity. A 2016 statistic shows that about 30% of captive bearded dragons suffer from obesity. Do you want the same situation for your scaly reptile? I hope not. 
• The remaining sugar can lead to diabetes symptoms, though it is not very common.
• The combination of excess water and sugar can lead to diarrhea.  

2. Not Enough Nutrition

Bearded dragons are omnivores, but they do not eat much. Therefore, the food you provide needs to be nutritious. Yes, bananas are a healthy food. It does not meet all the nutrition bearded dragons require, though. 

Therefore, you need to feed them different kinds of live insects and vegetables. While choosing insects, keep in mind the sizes. For example, bearded dragons can eat pinky mice but not the adult ones. 

3. They May Lose Interest

Would you like to have the same food every day? Of course not. The same goes for your pet. Feeding them the same food can make them bored of it. They may lose their appetite and not eat properly. This can affect their growth and overall health. It is important to maintain a variation of their diet. 

4. Chaos in Minerals’ Presence

Minerals are important for any animal, with no difference for bearded dragons. Their presences need to be in a rational order. Reptiles need more calcium than phosphorus. However, bananas offer more phosphorus than calcium. 

As a result, there can be an imbalance between the calcium and phosphorus ratio. This can affect their bone formation, nerve function, and overall metabolic processes. 

Signs that Your Pet Has Had More Sugar than It Is Safe

Do you feed bananas to your pet every week? Then you need to stop feeding it to them upon seeing the following signs:

• Loss of appetite: A sudden disinterest in their usual food can be a sign of something wrong. And that can be increased sugar levels in their diet.
• Diarrhea: Sugar can disrupt a bearded dragon’s gut flora, leading to loose stool.
• Lethargy: Excessive sugar can cause a bearded dragon to become less active and sluggish.
• Weight gain: While some weight gain might be expected with sugary treats, rapid weight gain is not a good sign.
• Mouth rot: Sugar can promote the growth of bacteria in the mouth. This often leads to mouth rot. This will appear as reddening, swelling, or unusual discharge around the mouth.
• Dehydration: Sugar can cause dehydration, so watch for signs like sunken eyes or dry skin.

What Other Foods Can Bearded Dragons Eat?

Bearded dragons can eat a lot of different foods. From vegetables, fruits, and insects. Here is a list of food you can feed them. 

Fruits	Insects	Vegetables
Apples	Crickets	Collard Greens
Berries	Dubia Roaches	Kale
Grapes	Mealworms	Mustard Greens
Mango	Phoenix Worms	Bell Peppers
Papaya	Superworms	Carrots
Peaches	Black Soldier Fly Larvae	Squash
Pears	Waxworms	Zucchini
Plums	Silkworms	Sweet Potatoes
Strawberries	Grasshoppers	Green Beans
Watermelon	Hornworms	Turnip Greens

FAQ

Here are some more questions that might come to your mind while reading the blog. 

1. Can Bearded Dragons Eat Banana Peel?

Yes, bearded dragons can eat banana peel, but only in a limited amount. The peel provides some nutritional value but is high in phosphorus. Feed the peel with the fleshy part of the fruit. Feeding only peels must be avoided. 

2. Do Bearded Dragons Eat Banana Seeds?

No, bearded dragons should not eat banana seeds. The seeds pose a potential choking hazard due to their small size and hard texture. Additionally, banana seeds contain toxins called amygdalin and cyanogenic glycosides. These can be harmful to bearded dragons if consumed in large quantities.

3. Can Bearded Dragons Eat Frozen Bananas?

No, bearded dragons should not eat frozen bananas. The cold temperature and hard frozen texture pose a choking hazard. Additionally, when bananas are frozen, the cell walls rupture and release more sugar. The high sugar content in frozen bananas can cause diarrhea in bearded dragons.

Conclusion

I appreciate your sincereness regarding your pet’s health. Otherwise, you would not have spent time learning, “Can bearded dragons eat bananas?” The fruit is safe as long as overfeeding is avoided. It can also contribute to their overall health. Feel free to check my other blogs on the diet and health care of bearded dragons.