Can Bearded Dragons Eat Honeydew Melon? | Tips & Facts 2024

Bearded dragons are reptilians that originate in the desert areas of Australia. These reptilians are built to sustain heat and less water. However, bearded dragons in captivity do not have to live in a dire state of less water and excessive heat. You can feed them various kinds of vegetables and fruits, and each of them will have to be in proportion to their nutritional needs. Can bearded dragons eat honeydew melon? Since we all love various fruits and vegetables, it is natural to wonder if we can feed our dragon pets the same things.

Bearded dragons are not picky eaters although many people believe that they are. However, if you think that these creatures are moody with food, it is not really true. However, there are numerous foods that are not fit for consumption due to rigid requirements. Pet owners can make the best diet plan after understanding what needs to be incorporated into the daily diet of their pet dragons.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Honeydew Melon

Honeydew melon is rich in numerous nutrients like magnesium, folate, and vitamins A, B6, C, and K. So yes, bearded dragons can eat honeydew melon as it is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. However, the real question is how much of this fruit can you feed your dragon.

Honeydew melon is not as sweet as the name implies. In fact, it has a moderate amount of sugar and does not pose the risk of obesity for bearded dragons. However, here is a list of nutrients that are found in honeydew melons that will give you a good picture of what needs to be fed and how much. Also, see Can Bearded Dragons Eat Pumpkin?

Nutrients In Honeydew Melons

This fruit is rich in the following nutrients:

• Water 89grams
• Energy 36Kcal
• Sugars 8.12 grams
• Calcium 6 grams
• Phosphorus 11 grams

As we mentioned earlier, bearded dragons cannot eat foods that have a lot of phosphorus. The ideal proportion is that the calcium to phosphorus ratio should be 2:1. In honeydew melons, this ratio is maybe the other way around. Your bearded dragon can become seriously ill if it feeds on high-phosphorus foods and if honeydew has a high amount of this element, maybe you can feed it occasionally to enjoy the benefits of vitamins, but keep the perils of phosphorus limited.

Honeydew melons are not a suitable fruit for bearded dragons and they are not to be served to them every day. However, once a month, or maybe once in six months is fine. However, this induction of honeydew into the diet is purely for pleasure and taste.

Usually, when some fruits are not most suitable in terms of nutrients, pet owners can balance them with other foods that have high calcium and protein so that the high phosphorus of one food item is balanced out by other nutrients. However, this does not last for long. This can only be done occasionally, and even so, you cannot do this for honeydew melons due to the nutrition facts we shared.

The honeydew melons are not suitable, but there are many fruits that are nutritious and suitable for bearded dragons. You will find berries, watermelons, and apples. Other food, like celery, are completely safe for bearded dragons but only for certain amounts.

Bearded Dragons And Fruit

Bearded dragons love to eat fruit, especially if it has a colorful appearance and aroma. When you feed your dragon fruits, they have to be less sugary because too much sugar is not good for these reptilians. Bearded dragons have limited physical activity in captivity, so a sugary fruit might not be the best for them.

Fruits are an essential part of the bearded dragon diet because it provides numerous vitamins and minerals in abundance. However, all fruits are sweet, and that means a boost of carbohydrates in the diet. Bearded dragons have a slow metabolism and they cannot digest foods that contain a lot of sugars at a fast pace, which means that the extra sugars will store up as fats in the body. Pet owners must feed fruits to their dragons but it cannot be in large quantities.

The most essential nutrients for bearded dragons are calcium and protein. Honeydew melon has a bit of both, but the exact amounts are shared below. If any fruit or vegetable has phosphorus or oxalate, it becomes unfavorable for dragons. The reason for that is that phosphorus hinders the absorption of calcium, and if you keep feeding this fruit, it can result in low calcium, which will result in softer bones and metabolic bone diseases. This disease can get worse and result in paralysis and then death. Please have a look at Can Bearded Dragons Eat Pineapple, you may find it helpful while giving fruits to your dragon.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is honeydew melon a harmful fruit?

If you feed this fruit to your bearded pet every day it can become harmful! The amount of phosphorus in this fruit is too high for consumption. When you feed this fruit to these reptilians it can harm their bones drastically.

What can I do if my dragon pet ate honeydew once?

If you only fed this fruit to your dragon pet once only, it is fine as it will pass from their system. However, you cannot feed them this fruit regularly. Make sure you increase their calcium and protein intake for a week and all will be fine. However, do not feed honeydew melon more than once in six months, and that too is a very small portion.

Conclusion

Bearded dragons can eat various fruits. However, it is best if pet owners do not feed their pet dragons honeydew melons because of the high amount of phosphorus. You will not be able to balance this high amount and it may result in serious issues such as metabolic bone disease. If you really want your bearded pet to try this sweet fruit, you can maybe give them a small cube once in a few months. Do not include honeydew melons as a daily or weekly fix. Moreover, also check out and read Can Bearded Dragons Eat Plums.