Diet

Question
What would a sample diet for a juvenile look like? Right now I am feeding my beardy 40 crickets a day and a salad. Are mealworms safe? I've heard many different opinions. Also, Is sand a safe substrate, like the reptisand?

Answer
Hello Michael,

That's quite a large amount of crickets to be feeding in one day. Does he eat all of them or are there still some left in his enclosure most of the time? Crickets in general shouldn't be fed as a daily staple, there are healthier options that can be fed every day and keep him in better health. I will attach a link at the bottom of this answer for you to look into. It's a nutrition sheet for Bearded Dragon's Diet with color coded "Never feed" , "Feed Often" , "Feed Rarely" etc. lists.
Also, the salad you should be feeding is not the "iceberg" type head of lettuce as this has almost no nutritional value what-so-ever. It's like feeding him water. That's all he will get out of it. The link also has what types of greens, vegetables, and fruits can be fed and how often.

Mealworms and Sand are probably the most controversial topics when it comes to any lizard.
I've tried to research a lot on both topics and here is what I can tell you.
Mealworms have no scientific proof of causing physical "harm" to reptiles. There are myths that they do not digest fast enough and can start "eating" at the insides of a lizard. There is no proof of this; it's impossible. However mealworms do have a hard to digest exterior that can cause impaction (a block in the digestive system) if fed too often. Try silk worms, pheonix worms, or another worm listed on the link below.
I was never comfortable feeding mealworms to my lizards, I would rather be safe then sorry. However in an emergency food situation if it's all you can get then a couple really won't hurt him. - I hope that wasn't confusing. :)

Sand, this one is another easily arguable subject. I also went by the "I'd rather not risk it" with my lizards, although some people argue it's what is found in the Bearded Dragon's natural, wild habitat the life span of a wild bearded dragon is a lot shorter for reasons such as sand. There is proof of sand causing impaction in Bearded Dragons among other reptiles. What happens is he will either accidently or sometimes purposely decide to take a bite of sand and when sand gets wet (such as in the digestive system) it can clump together, once it may dry it will form like a rock. Hard and compressed, which will definitely block his system. Impaction can be fatal if not taken care of immediately.

So to sum things up, mealworms are okay as long as they're not used often and in small amounts. Sand is dangerous and not worth the trouble.

If you like the natural look of sand try finding some slate or similar type tiles in the bottom of the Beardie's enclosure. Just be careful because slate and rock can heat up and burn him very badly so watch to see if you need to adjust the heat lamp or try a different substrate. Also if you go with the tiles, just lay them in there, do NOT use adhesive of any type, it can be toxic to your Beardie.

http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

Best of luck, hope I was able to answer your questions.
Let me know if there is anything else I can do,
-Heather