Can Bearded Dragons Eat Mint? | Safe Herb Treats 2024

Mint is an essential herb that all of us have admired in one form or another. You can pair it with lemonade, chocolate, and even regular barbeque and enjoy its multiple benefits. But we all are just human! Can bearded dragons eat mint? If you have recently gotten a dragon pet, this question might be one of the first few on your way to becoming a dragon expert.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Mint

Garden Greens For Bearded Dragons

All pet owners think it is best to let the bearded dragon roam the garden and enjoy a meal fresh from nature’s basket. Mint grows quickly in a pot and can become a bush in a short time. If grown in the garden, this herb can become a convenient choice for owners and the reptile! However, should bearded dragons eat mint?

The simple answer is yes. Sometimes bearded dragons can eat mint but don’t feed it to them regularly. Now, we get into the nitty-gritty of the dragon’s physical requirements and the nutritional value of mint to understand why it is an occasional menu item for your bearded dragon. Sit there and read along because this information can help you skip the questions for several other garden greens. Have a look at the Can Bearded Dragons Eat Broccoli.

Bearded Dragons And Their Nutrition

Bearded dragons are reptiles that hibernate in winter and come out in spring to nourish their body for the time they lost. Furthermore, their body systems must be correct, so they do not become too lazy or incapable of hibernating.

Bearded Dragons And Their Nutrition

An adult bearded dragon requires food once a day, and sometimes, it can go without food for days. This pattern is typical as their body develops a habit of going without food. The bearded dragons and all other reptiles store nutrition, and their metabolism is so slow that even if they don’t eat for two days, their bodies usually function.

Water is not the primary necessity for these thick-tailed dragons, and they require only a minimal amount. The water content in vegetables is enough to suffice the daily water intake for dragons, and therefore, they can eat herbs that have lesser water content to suffice their body needs.

The Water Content Of Mint

Mint, thyme, basil, coriander, and all other green leaf herbs have a higher water content than leafy greens like dandelions or weeds that grow in the garden. The high water content of mint can become a problem for many bearded dragons if they consume it daily. Mint leaves have all the right components to suit your bearded dragon pet, but the water content puts everything out of balance.

While feeding your bearded dragon, you must ensure that they get the right amount of protein, fat, acid, calcium, sugars, and fiber content. All these nutrients can impact the dragons adversely if consumed in excess. The calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in your bearded dragon’s diet will determine its alertness and growth. The ideal balance of these two elements is 2:1, which means that the amount of phosphorus should be about half the amount of calcium in the garden greens you select for them.

Here is a table that lays down the nutrients in mint. Observe this table, and you will be able to decide if bearded dragons can eat mint or not.

The Water Content Of Mint

The high water content seems to be an alarming statistic, and one cannot keep feeding the bearded dragon this kind of herb, which may upset the digestion and metabolism of your dear pet. However, once in a blue moon is the right frequency for this herb.

Greens, But Not All Greens!

We keep telling our readers that the primary source of nutrition for the young and adult bearded dragons has to be vegetables, as they need the dietary fiber and the nutrients that all fruits and vegetables offer. However, there are many fruits and vegetables that bearded dragons cannot eat. The list of avoided veggies may include spinach, romaine, and broccoli. Similarly, do not give avocados to your pet dragons. Also, read Can Bearded Dragons Eat Cucumber which is also a good green vegetable.

The reason to avoid these vegetables and fruits is that the veggies have high water content, which is dangerous for the dragons and avocados are high in fat, which may be harmful to the slow metabolism of this reptilian.

Safe Foods For Bearded Dragons

All pet owners who ask can bearded dragons eat mint will find this list of foods helpful as it can give them many options to replace mint and see the bearded dragon thrive.

The suitable salad items for your bearded dragon include chicory, endives, and arugula. Bearded dragons will enjoy radishes, carrots, pumpkin, squash, zucchini, and cucumbers among the vegetables. You can feed them bell peppers, aubergine, and a few of the regulars that you use in your food! The herbs that you can feed your pet occasionally include mint, thyme, basil, chives, sage, rosemary, lemon balm, catnip, oregano, and marjoram.

Conclusion

New bearded dragon owners often ask, can bearded dragons eat mint? The answer to this question is yes. They can. However, you must ensure that it is an occasional feed for these reptiles as the high water content can be a problem! We have given plenty of alternatives for you to select from and see your pet happy and active.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a few questions that new pet owners and bearded dragon lovers ask about feeding their new pets!

Which garden plants can my bearded dragon eat?

The garden is a delight for the bearded dragons as there is so much variety of delicious greens and insects all available in the same place. Bearded dragons can enjoy the following garden foods:

  • Rose flower petal
  • Dandelions
  • Hibiscus leaves
  • Pansy flowers, and
  • Rose leaves

Apart from these garden plants, a few wild plants that suit the bearded dragon’s palate are:

  • Grape leaves
  • Hazel leaves
  • Shepherd’s purse
  • Chamomile
  • Clover
  • Cornflower blossoms
  • Chickweed
  • Daisy
  • Rosehip flowers

Before letting the bearded dragon explore some of these delicious plants, ensure that there are no chemicals sprayed on the plants. A lot of people who have lawns like to keep them healthy by spraying pesticides and chemicals to ward off insects. For bearded dragons, no insects and pesticides are bad news!

Fruits that suit bearded dragons are not one or two but many! You can bring a few and cut them up nicely to feed your pet. You will see that they stay still and enjoy the fruits as colorful food and sweet smells attract them. Some of their favorite fruits include apples, mango, papaya, and berries.

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