How often should you feed a bearded dragon?
Feeding a bearded dragon is mostly a question of getting two things right: how often, and how much. Juveniles eat insects 2–3 times a day; adults get insects 2–3 times a week plus daily greens. That rhythm changes with age, so treat the sections below as your starting point and then adjust to the individual animal in front of you.
How often to feed a bearded dragon
Juveniles eat insects 2–3 times a day; adults get insects 2–3 times a week plus daily greens.
Short answer: Juveniles eat insects 2–3 times a day; adults get insects 2–3 times a week plus daily greens.
How much to feed
A juvenile may eat 20–50 appropriately sized insects a day; an adult settles at roughly 10–20 insects twice a week plus a salad the size of its head.
Getting it right in practice
- Gut-load insects and dust them with calcium (without D3 daily, with D3 a few times a week depending on your vet or breeder guidance).
- Staple greens: collard, mustard, turnip, dandelion. Avoid spinach as a staple and never feed avocado.
- Insects should be smaller than the gap between the dragon's eyes.
- Salad should be offered fresh every morning and removed before it wilts.
How feeding changes with age
Juvenile (0–8 months)
High insect volume, daily salads introduced early, temperatures and UVB critically important for bone growth.
Sub-adult (8–18 months)
Insect volume drops, greens become the bulk of the diet, growth slows.
Adult (18 months+)
Insects twice a week, daily greens, stable enclosure; females may lay infertile eggs and need a suitable dig box.
Common feeding mistakes
- Eyeballing portions. Measure with a cup or a scale for the first month at least — most owners underestimate how much a bearded dragon actually eats.
- Switching food too fast. Change over 7–10 days, increasing the new food gradually.
- Reading the wrong life stage. Feed juveniles eat insects 2–3 times a day; adults get insects 2–3 times a week plus daily greens. for the age your animal is now, not the age it was when you got it.
- Ignoring body condition. Weight is the clearest signal you have. Weigh monthly and adjust portions before the weight becomes a problem.
Related questions
What temperature should a bearded dragon basking spot be?
Surface temperature of about 95–105°F (35–41°C) for adults, measured with an infrared thermometer on the basking surface. The cool end should sit around 75–85°F so the dragon can choose.
How far should the UVB light be?
Follow the tube manufacturer's chart — commonly 12–18 inches from the basking surface for a 10.0 tube mounted inside the enclosure, with no glass or fine mesh between bulb and animal.
How often do bearded dragons eat?
Adults get a daily salad plus insects two or three times a week. Juveniles under eight months need insects two or three times daily because they are growing fast.
Not veterinary advice. This guide covers husbandry. If your bearded dragon is injured, off food unusually long, or behaving abnormally, contact a veterinarian.