My weird little dragon

[Bearded dragon lover]

This morning I was feeding my bearded dragon and while I was feeding him he looked at a hold piece of mustard greens that was dried out form yesterday laying on the ground on the other side of the enclosure and he goes straight for it, I like are you kidding me? I offer him a plate of kale mustard greens and turnip greens nice and fresh every single day and he picks a dried up piece from yesterday? I'm like okay maybe he is just craving veggies right now so i go and get him a nice and fresh piece and put it on the exact same spot he hate the dried piece and he looks at it AND RUNS PAST IT TO ANOTHER DRIED UP PIECE. I am so confused I'm kinda thinking maybe its instincts and he likes to forage for leaves off of the ground and plants (Because my substrace is real soil an leaf litter) and not out of a bowl, but I just don't know what to do because I am trying so much things to get him to like veggies and he goes and eats a dried up piece of veggies on the ground I just don't understand it. I need help.

 

[KarrieRee]

This morning I was feeding my bearded dragon and while I was feeding him he looked at a hold piece of mustard greens that was dried out form yesterday laying on the ground on the other side of the enclosure and he goes straight for it, I like are you kidding me? I offer him a plate of kale mustard greens and turnip greens nice and fresh every single day and he picks a dried up piece from yesterday? I'm like okay maybe he is just craving veggies right now so i go and get him a nice and fresh piece and put it on the exact same spot he hate the dried piece and he looks at it AND RUNS PAST IT TO ANOTHER DRIED UP PIECE. I am so confused I'm kinda thinking maybe its instincts and he likes to forage for leaves off of the ground and plants (Because my substrace is real soil an leaf litter) and not out of a bowl, but I just don't know what to do because I am trying so much things to get him to like veggies and he goes and eats a dried up piece of veggies on the ground I just don't understand it. I need help.

For some reason some dragons like dried out greens - if he likes them let him eat them just make sure since hes eating dried ones hes getting water from elsewhere like off his nose etc

 

[xp29]

For some reason some dragons like dried out greens - if he likes them let him eat them just make sure since hes eating dried ones hes getting water from elsewhere like off his nose etc

I agree Every beardie I've had has done the same thing. Walk right past fresh food and eat the dried ones. They are for sure weird little creatures lol.

 

[Bearded dragon lover]

so what should I do about it should I feed him dried up veggies or a veggie that is naturaly dry?

 

[Bearded dragon lover]

like should I put up dried veggies on purpose? or just continue feeding fresh watery veggies

 

[xp29]

like should I put up dried veggies on purpose? or just continue feeding fresh watery veggies

Continue feeding fresh moist veggies. But if some of the dried out stuff is left, maybe leave a little of that for him also. The dried stuff won't hydrate him but it still has nutritional value.

 

[KarrieRee]

Make sure hes getting water

 

[Bearded dragon lover]

@KarrieRee I got 500 large bsfl and why are they so small, he does not even like them because of how small they are

 

[KarrieRee]

@KarrieRee I got 500 large bsfl and why are they so small, he does not even like them because of how small they are

They are small -- hes not eating them at all?

 

[Bearded dragon lover]

i mean no not really he likes big things like super worms and horn worms and large crickets because he does not even attempt to eat smaller crickets. Food that is too small he does not even seem to register its there he ate three when I first showed him then but than he just kinda stopped I put like 30 in his salad bowl but they are so small they go to the bottom of the bowl and he cant find them

 

[KarrieRee]

i mean no not really he likes big things like super worms and horn worms and large crickets because he does not even attempt to eat smaller crickets. Food that is too small he does not even seem to register its there he ate three when I first showed him then but than he just kinda stopped I put like 30 in his salad bowl but they are so small they go to the bottom of the bowl and he cant find them

Ok you don't want to feed an insect or worm bigger than the space between his eyes- it will impact him

 

[Bearded dragon lover]

right do you mean vertically or horizontally because a simple mealworm is bigger than him when spaced in between the eyes horizontally but if vertically a full sized hornworms fits in between its eyes

 

[IAmAMirage]

right do you mean vertically or horizontally because a simple mealworm is bigger than him when spaced in between the eyes horizontally but if vertically a full sized hornworms fits in between its eyes

@Bearded dragon lover
If the insect/veggie/food item is larger than the area I have highlighted in the photo, it can cause impaction.
@xp29 and @KarrieRee can give you more information on this.

 

[xp29]

@Bearded dragon lover
If the insect/veggie/food item is larger than the area I have highlighted in the photo, it can cause impaction.
@xp29 and @KarrieRee can give you more information on this.
View attachment 96210

That info isn't necessarily wrong but the truth is, beardies have a mouth full of teeth and impressive bite force. That being said it depends on each individual beardie. Some will basically just swallow food whole without chewing. Those beardies you need to stick to that guideline. Some beardies eat slower and will chew there food. Those beardies you can give bigger bugs to. My girl Lucy inhales her bugs so I still have her on small bugs. She should be big enough for larger bugs but she won't chew. Sinatra on the other hand chews his food really well (he always has) so I can safely feed him even the largest insects with no issues.
The best course of action is to feed smaller bugs at first and pay attention to how your beardie eats. If it chews it's food you can give bugs that are a little bigger, if it just swallows them whole, stick to smaller bugs.

 

[Bearded dragon lover]

when feeding large hornworms my bearded dragon bite the end of the horn worms and now 1/4 of the worm is in its mouth and he just sits there for a few second digesting it, than after a few second he just and sucks the worm in a little more so now 2/4 of the worm is in its mouth and does the same thing. He sits there kinda digest the parts in his mouth and than swallows 3/4 of it and after waiting and digesting that 3/4 were only 1/4 is sticking out of his mouth and finally swallows the whole thing.