Feeding

4.1The schedule

Note this runs on weight, not age. Age-based feeding charts are one of the most common causes of harm in this hobby, and 6.1 explains why.

• , Feeder size means the insect’s width should match roughly the gap between your dragon’s eyes.
• , If your insects are on the small side, offer more.
• , This is a general guide. Watch body condition and adjust.

4.2Insects

Variety matters, and so does buying from a reputable supplier, cheap feeders are a common route for parasites.

Daily feeders

Black soldier fly larvae (sold as NutriGrubs, CalciGrubs or Phoenix worms) · Dubia roach · Discoid roach · Orange head roach · Lobster roach · Banana roach · Red runner roach · Surinam roach · Crickets · Grasshoppers · Locusts · Silkworms

Treats, once or twice a week

Superworms · Waxworms · Butterworms · Mealworms

These are high in fat. Hornworms are the exception; they’re mostly water and are genuinely useful for hydration, so 1–2 a week is fine on that basis rather than as a fatty treat.

4.3Salads

Salad goes in daily at every life stage. Portion is about the size of the dragon’s head. Leafy greens should make up most of it, and variety is the thing that makes the nutrition work.

Safe to feed multiple times per week

Artichoke heart · Arugula · Broadleaf plantain · Cilantro · Collard greens · Dandelion greens · Endive and escarole · Hawkbit · Mulberry leaves · Mustard greens · Sow thistle · Turnip greens · Watercress · Wheat grass

Moderate, offer a few pieces one to two times a week

Basil · Bok choy · Clover · Cucumber (peeled) · Green beans · Hawkweed · Kale · Milk thistle · Mint · Radicchio · Rosemary · Sage · Spring mix

Rarely, offer a few pieces two to three times a month

Acorn squash · Asparagus · Bell pepper · Butternut squash · Carrots · Snap peas · Spaghetti squash · Swiss chard · Zucchini

Variety is what makes the diet work. Keep sugary vegetables to a bare minimum, or leave them out altogether: the bulk of what goes in the bowl should be dark leafy greens, weeds and flowers.

Herbs and flowers

Herbs are worth adding because the smell gets a reluctant dragon interested. Cilantro, mint, thyme, basil, oregano and fennel are all safe.

Flowers work well too, dragons go for the color as much as the taste. Growing your own is the safest way to offer them, with no fertiliser, pesticide or insecticide.

4.4What never goes in

Fruits and some vegetables cultivated for human consumption will be high in sugar and low in fiber (e.g. apples, bananas). Such a nutrient profile is inappropriate for most reptiles, as the ‘fruit’ they would encounter, if free-ranging, would be considerably higher in fiber and much lower in sugar.

Warwick, Arena & Burghardt · Health and Welfare of Captive Reptiles, 2nd ed. 2023, p.451 [13]

Pellets, also none. They cause malnutrition, dehydration and impaction, they aren’t well balanced and there’s nothing natural about them. Live insects and fresh greens do the job.

4.5If your dragon won’t eat salad

Common, fixable, and usually not a health problem.

• , Sprinkle bee pollen over the top, powder or grains
• , Try a dried flower topper
• , More variety, and more color
• , Add herbs for the smell
• , Offer salad before insects, not after
• , Put a live bug in the bowl so something moves
• , Wrap an insect in a leaf and hand feed it

Before any of that, check you aren’t overfeeding insects. That’s the usual reason a dragon holds out for something better. Keep offering salad regardless, some take months to come round.