"Give me arugula, or give me death!" --Blackbeard

[thujone]

I have a beardie named Blackbeard who's about 8 or 9 months old now. He seems pretty healthy for the most part. Spry and alert. He gets along well with my cat.

I'm a little worried about Blackbeard's diet. He eats plenty of dubia roaches, superworms, mealworms, and crickets. And he LOVES arugula. But he won't eat any other veggie or fruit. I've tried kale, baby kale, organic Supergreens salad mix, chard, swiss chard, potato, apples, oranges, berries of all types, melons of all types. He won't eat them at all. Only arugula. And bugs. I read somewhere that arugula isn't ideal for beardies. Is that true? How do I get him to try something new??

Thanks in advance,
Rich

 

[Silver dragons]

Hello, I've heard that arugula isn't good for bearded dragons too. So I would suggest not feeding a whole lot of it. Trying to get stubborn bearded dragons to eat something new can be kind of difficult but you just have to be persistent. Trying different types of lettuce can do wonders and try putting the piece of arugula then quickly switching it out for something like mustard greens.

 

[thujone]

Thanks for the info, definitely gonna try the switcheroo, or maybe putting some mustard greens underneath arugula. It would be nice to get confirmation that arugula isn't great as a staple. There's a ton of misinformation out there. For example, I saw one video where the person insisted mealworms are better as a staple than superworms. And then I saw another video where they said the exact opposite. Then there's this helpful but kind of vague chart, that lists neither as a staple. Which is crazy, because my dragon eats worms of some sort every day. http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Nutrition.html

I'm starting to think i might be overthinking things. He likes the arugula, he seems healthy and happy. i do put out different types of lettuce for him every day.

 

[thujone]

Hey, thanks, he's eating mustard greens now! I have to admit, I never tried mustard greens before. He must like the bitter, spicy taste, similar to arugula. Now he's eating two greens, yay

 

[Silver dragons]

Hey, thanks, he's eating mustard greens now! I have to admit, I never tried mustard greens before. He must like the bitter, spicy taste, similar to arugula. Now he's eating two greens, yay

Good, I thought he would like it! My bearded dragons think it's the best too!

 

[Lindalee7]

Hey, thanks, he's eating mustard greens now! I have to admit, I never tried mustard greens before. He must like the bitter, spicy taste, similar to arugula. Now he's eating two greens, yay

Hey there! I have a couple mulberry and hibiscus bushes growing in my yard, and chia sprouts as well. (All are organically grown with no pesticides). My beardies go crazy for these!! I pick a few fresh leaves every day, rinse and chop them, and occasionally dust them with vitamins. They make a great staple veggie- chia and mulberry leaves both have tons of nutrient value! They are all very easy to grow if you have plenty of sun and water.
I sometimes switch them out for collards, endive, or escarole topped with tiny bits of chopped up squash to give my plants a break.
They definitely prefer the fresh grown stuff though. Hope this helps!

 

[thujone]

Hi Lindalee,

Sorry for the slow reply, but the hibiscus and mulberry bushes sound amazing. Are those things I could grow in a pot? How long would it take to grow it out? I definitely have enough sun here in San Diego.

Hey there! I have a couple mulberry and hibiscus bushes growing in my yard, and chia sprouts as well. (All are organically grown with no pesticides). My beardies go crazy for these!! I pick a few fresh leaves every day, rinse and chop them, and occasionally dust them with vitamins. They make a great staple veggie- chia and mulberry leaves both have tons of nutrient value! They are all very easy to grow if you have plenty of sun and water.
I sometimes switch them out for collards, endive, or escarole topped with tiny bits of chopped up squash to give my plants a break.
They definitely prefer the fresh grown stuff though. Hope this helps!