ᐅ Can Bearded Dragons Eat Bell Peppers?

The Bell In The Pepper – Yea Or Nay For Bearded Dragons

Can bearded dragons eat bell peppers? The quick answer is yes; bearded dragons can eat bell peppers. Bell peppers are a colorful way to add nutrients and flavor to your beardies diet.

Can bearded dragons eat bell peppers every day? No bearded dragons can eat bell peppers a few times a week or less.

This article will take you through the nutritional value, benefits, risks, and a whole lot more regarding bell peppers as a meal for your bearded dragon.

Nutritional Value of Bell Peppers

As a bearded dragon owner is essential that you take a look at the nutritional value of the food you offer your bearded dragon.

Nutritional Information Of Bell Peppers Per 100g

Nutrient Names	Amounts
Water	92.21 g
Energy	26 Kcal
Protein	0.99 g
Total lipid (fat)	0.3 g
Carbohydrates, by difference	6.03 g
Fiber	2.1 g
Sugars	4.2 g
Calcium	7 mg
Phosphorus	26 mg
Sodium	4 mg
Vitamin C	127.7 mg
Iron	0.43 mg
Vitamin D (D2+3)	0 ug
Vitamin B6	0.291 mg
Vitamin A	157 ug
Vitamin E	1.58 mg
Vitamin K	4.9 ug

Many vets and nutritionists freely add bell peppers to the list of safe food for bearded dragons to eat.

Benefits Of Feeding Bell Peppers To Bearded Dragons

Bearded dragons can get the following nutrients from bell peppers:

Antioxidants – Prevent inflammation, strengthen the immune system, and aid digestion.

Vitamin C – Boost the immune system, vision, reproduction, and growth.

Vitamin B6 – Helps create red blood cells.

Vitamin E – Prevents inflammation and builds up damaged cells.

Vitamin K1 – Assists with blood clotting and bone strength.

Folate – Helps keep cells and tissue healthy.

Potassium – Is vital for heart health

Water Content – Bell peppers can hydrate bearded dragons because of their high water content. Red bell peppers contain the most water, at 92%. Just be cautious not to over-hydrate with bell peppers, or your beardie will soon have diarrhea from overhydration.

Risks Of Bell Peppers, And Bearded Dragons

On the downside, bell peppers can not be given as a staple to your bearded dragon. Let’s explore some reasons why.

Lack Of Calcium – Bell peppers are an inferior source of calcium. Bearded dragons

need staple vegetables that provide enough calcium. That’s how it is with bell peppers: they offer some excellent benefits for bearded dragons, but they don’t have enough calcium to be worth eating every day. You can always increase your bearded dragon’s calcium intake by adding a calcium supplement to their diet.

Poor Calcium to Phosphorus Rati – In addition to having little calcium, bell peppers have about twice the amount of phosphorus as calcium. A lack of calcium (or lack of vitamin D3, which is necessary for calcium absorption) is the top cause of metabolic bone disease (MBD) in bearded dragons.

Too much phosphorus can cause MBD because it binds with calcium to prevent absorption and deplete the bearded dragons’ calcium supply.

MBD is one of the most common health disorders among domesticated bearded dragons. The disease is painful and debilitating because it attacks the dragon’s skeletal system, causing paralysis and warped limbs. However, MBD is easily preventable with wise diet choices and proper calcium supplementation.

Vitamin A Toxicity – Bell peppers are famously full of Vitamin A. This vitamin is a wonderful perk since bearded dragons need Vitamin A to help them see, reproduce, and grow well. At the same time, some bearded dragons taking Vitamin A supplements can develop hypervitaminosis A (overdose of Vitamin A or Vitamin A toxicity), which presents itself through symptoms like swelling, lethargy, and weight loss.

The risk of hypervitaminosis A is not too high. Still, it’s worth mentioning, especially for bearded dragons who take Vitamin A supplements or consume many Vitamin A-rich foods. If that’s the case, you may want to limit peppers or consult with your vet before feeding them (especially red peppers, which have the most Vitamin A).

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Red Peppers?

All bell peppers carry quite a lot of nutrients. Red bell peppers, for example, have far more Vitamin A and C than green bell peppers. That doesn’t necessarily mean that green bell peppers are not good for your bearded dragon; it just means that red and yellow peppers are more nutritionally dense. To make things fun, you could always feed a little bit of each pepper to your dragon and figure out his favorite flavor.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Green Peppers?

Did you know; green bell peppers are actually unripe yellow peppers or red bell peppers? Since green bell pepper is “underdeveloped, so to speak, they offer less nutritional value than red and yellow peppers.

Still, green bell peppers’ nutritional value remains safe for bearded dragons to eat as long as it is in moderation.

Can Baby Beardies Safely Eat Bell Peppers?

Baby bearded dragons can eat bell peppers. It does not mean that you should offer to overfeed them to your baby beardie.

When your beardie is younger than 18 months and up to 2 years, the food they eat is more crucial than when they are beyond this age. They are still growing rapidly, and every different type of food you feed them is vital to support their growth.

Preparing Bell Pepper For Bearded Dragons

When preparing bell pepper for your bearded dragon, there are a few things that you need to do to make them safe for your beardie’s meal.

When selecting bell peppers for your bearded dragon, make sure they are fresh bell pepper and have no blemishes, spots, or soft spots. Always try to get organic foods for your beardie because they are grown without pesticides and other harmful chemicals.

Wash the pepper thoroughly, even if it is organic.

Remove the top membrane of the pepper and its seeds.

Slice the outer shell of the pepper into tiny pieces and feed it to your beardie.

Conclusion

Do not be afraid of feeding your bearded dragon peppers. But w suggest you still do so with caution. Make sure your pet gets a wide variety of vegetables during the week.

Now you might wonder which vegetables to serve with bell peppers. We recommend you try raspberries, kale, sweet potato, and more.

Always read about any new food you want to introduce to your bearded dragon’s diet. Even the safest food can be harmful to your bearded dragon. If you are unsure or your dragon has underlying health issues, contact your vet before feeding any new item to your bearded dragon.

Continue to read our main article “What do Bearded Dragons Eat?” for all the ins and outs on general diet questions, and get a further detailed breakdown of other popular foods in the articles below: