Can Bearded Dragons Eat Papaya? | Nutritious Fruit Treats 2024

Bearded dragons are reptiles that can be excellent pets for all those who like peaceful and quiet creatures with a minimalist care routine. However, every living thing requires a nutritious diet that keeps them healthy and active. Fruits and veggies can be a good choice, so let’s start by answering pet owners’ questions. Can bearded dragons eat papaya? Let’s see why papaya must be discussed before discussing the other fruits and vegetables for your bearded dragon.

Bearded dragons are low maintenance and eat primarily vegetables and insects. However, it is good to know what they can eat or not to avoid any discomfort for them. To understand whether papaya is a good option for these reptiles, you must know your pets’ nutritional needs and the elements that papaya offers.

The Ideal Diet For Bearded Dragons

At all ages, these reptilian friends need calcium, protein, carbohydrates, and a minimal amount of fats. The fiber from fruits and vegetables is good for bearded dragons, and they require a significant amount on a daily basis. As your tiny dragon grows into an adult, the nutritional requirements change, and they begin to rely more on regular greens and vegetables along with protein from insects. It is a basic instinct for reptilians to gorge on insects. However, feeding veggies and fruits provide them with the essential vitamins, fiber, protein, and carbohydrates.

Adult bearded dragons fulfill their daily needs by consuming vegetables and insects alone. However, fruits are also an integral part of their diet. Colorful fruits are attractive to all of us, and bearded pets love the colors you add to their food. However, papaya is still in the grey zone until we get to know all about it!

Your pet dragon can go without food for a few days, but it will not go hungry when you serve them something they like! We are going to explore this topic further to know if bearded dragons eat papaya, and we start with understanding the water requirements for dragons. All reptilians hibernate, and their metabolism is slow, due to which their water requirement is not high. Moreover, they cannot have foods with high moisture as their bodies are built to digest foods with less water content. Please read Can Bearded Dragons Eat Avocado for a good diet plan for your dragon.

What Does Papaya Offer

Papaya is one of the common fruits that have a high nutritional value for consumers. Everyone likes rich and sweet fruit, and that is why pet owners often want to share this fruit with their dragon friends. Papaya is rich in calcium, phosphorus, water, fat, sugar, and fiber. The whopping 88 grams of water in 100 grams of papaya are something that these babies will not be comfortable with, and therefore, every new pet owner must be sure whether it is suitable for them or not!

Apart from minerals and vitamins, papaya has the following nutrients in the mentioned quantities:

This table can give you a general idea of the leading food classes that papaya can offer all consumers. Bearded dragons will love all the components, but the water content can be a little alarming!

What Happens If There Is High Water Content

We explained the water content and its perils for bearded dragons. However, if you are wondering, ‘Can bearded dragons eat papaya? What will the high water content do to them?’ here is a short explanation; the high water content in Papaya will make your bearded pet become ill with diarrhea, and they become irritable.

We understand that pets are like your children, and seeing them in discomfort is an awful sight. Moreover, the well-being of the creature is in serving them food and creating their daily diet according to their requirements. Due to the high water content, papaya is not advisable for bearded dragons. There! You have the answer to your question. It may be disappointing for some pet wonders, but no need to fret! There are numerous alternatives that can be as tasty and as attractive for bearded dragons and offer the right kind of nutrition.

Foods Bearded Dragons Can Have

It is true that bearded dragons should eat various vegetables and fruits. All kinds of green and fibrous vegetables are suitable for your pet, but there are a few that must be avoided. Similarly, fruits are a colorful and interesting item for these bearded pets, but some of them are not suitable.

The greens that are good for dragon pets include collard, dandelions, mustard greens, turnip leaves, and watercress. The fruits that are good for your bearded friend include mango, prickly pear, and berries. Sometimes you can give your pet a treat of apples, melons, and kiwis as well. However, the water content of each item must be the first thing you check. You can also have a look at Can a Bearded Dragon Eat Watermelon.

Here is a list of fruits and vegetables that you can save and look up every mealtime.

Vegetables Allowed

• Collard
• Turnips
• Carrots
• Watercress
• Butternut squash
• Okra
• Parsnips
• Bell peppers
• Sweet potato
• Green beans
• Peas
• Cucumber
• Kale
• Kohlrabi

Fruits Allowed

• Mango
• Prickly pear
• Apples
• Berries
• Kiwi
• Honeydew melon
• Cantaloupe
• Pears

Conclusion

Bearded dragons cannot eat papaya due to the high water content, but there are numerous other foods that you can give these reptilian pets for their growth and well-being. Be sure to choose all vegetables and fruits according to the beneficial nutrients. However, it is okay if you select some foods for occasional feeds. Moreover, check out Can Bearded Dragons Have Pumpkin.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I give my bearded dragon papaya, will it die?

Bearded dragons are pretty sturdy and tough, which means that they can tolerate an unfavorable food item if accidentally eaten once. However, the discomfort may include diarrhea, which can prolong and be dangerous for the reptilian.

What should I do if the dragon eats papaya accidentally?

As a one-off, if your bearded dragon ate papaya, you can give them foods that are the opposite of papaya. Since papayas are acidic and have a lot of water, feed the bearded dragon any vegetable that is low in water content and has sodium or any salt that can reduce the impact of papaya.

How often can bearded dragons eat fruit?

Bearded dragons can have fruit as often as you would like to cut them up and serve! However, do follow the table of allowed fruits and veggies given above to know what is best for these reptilians.