Can Bearded Dragons Eat Red Peppers?
If you are a pet lover or bearded dragon owner, then you surely will be conscious about their diet. Bearded dragons can take a lot of safe food items in their diet. Here we are going to discuss Red Peppers. Many people will have red peppers at their home and also they are very tasty but can bearded dragons eat red peppers?
It is fine to give your bearded dragon Red Peppers as the occasional treat, It contains essential nutrients such as vitamins, C, A, B6, and E and antioxidants that will keep the bearded dragons healthy. However, the red peppers have high water content which may lead to some diseases such as diarrhea.
Also read: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Bell Peppers?
To keep this simple and short, you can give your Bearded Dragon red peppers. You can not give this to your pet every day, just make this an occasional treat. Now, we are going to take a deeper view into the benefits and harms of feasting on your Bearded Dragon red peppers.
The pros and cons of giving your bearded dragon red peppers
The benefits and negatives of feeding red peppers to your bearded dragons are given below.
Here are some amazing benefits of red pepper in your Bearded Dragon’s diet.
Vitamin B6-
This vitamin is essential for the production of the new RBC (red blood cells). It keeps the red blood cells of your bearded dragon oxygenated and also alive.
Vitamin A and C
These vitamins A and C have wonderful benefits for health. Vitamin A and C support healthy vision and help the immune systems fight against any issues.
Antioxidants-
Antioxidants are a great thing to slow down the aging process. They keep the immune system strong, help the body with food digestion and reduce the risk of inflammation.
Along with the four above, there are many other benefits for your bearded dragons eating Red Bell Peppers. These minerals and vitamins are folates, potassium, and vitamin K1.
Here are some negatives to a red pepper diet.
Overhydration
It is known that the regular intake of food items that are too high in water contents can cause overhydration. This is bad as it leads to diarrhea. These peppers contain 92% of their total weight.
Calcium content
Bearded Dragons like other lizards need calcium-rich food items for their survival. Many veggies contain high levels of calcium but red bell peppers do not. The ratio of calcium in a Red Bell Pepper is almost negligible and that is why it cannot be used as the staple food in the bearded dragon’s diet.
High phosphorus to calcium ratio
Red peppers contain low calcium content and high level of Phosphorus. They have twice the amount of Phosphorus as compared to calcium which is a bad ratio. Too much phosphorus in your beardie’s diet cause Metabolic Bone Disease which is a major concern and can be life-threatening.
People also read: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Raspberries?
If the level of phosphorus to calcium is very high it can connect to calcium and stop the bearded dragons from absorbing it at all. You can overcome the risks of Metabolic Bone Disease by mixing your beardie’s live food with a mixture of Vitamin d-3 and Calcium supplements.
How often the bearded dragons can eat red bell peppers?
The bearded dragons can not eat this food item on regular basis. You can feed it to your bearded dragon in moderation. Give this to your pet once or twice a month.
Can baby bearded dragons eat red peppers?
The baby bearded dragons can eat red peppers as it is nutritious and also ripened form of pepper. But, do not overfeed red peppers to baby bearded dragons because it may cause overhydration to your pet.
Are Red bell peppers better than orange, yellow, or green peppers for your Bearded Dragon?
It is surely a better option to give your Bearded Dragon red peppers over yellow or green bell peppers. In the starting stage of its development, the bell peppers start the green after this as they ripen they will change color and finally become red. Now, it is full ripen with this comes to a stage where this is at the most nutritious stage and packing the most minerals and vitamins. So, always select red bell peppers as a treat for your Bearded Dragon.
Also, read more about: Can Bearded Dragons Eat Corn?
How to feed your Bearded Dragon red peppers?
Feeding bearded dragons red peppers is easy however, you have to follow these steps.
1. Get organically grown red pepper, will lessen the chance of your Bearded Dragon ingesting fertilizers.
2. Remove the bottom and top of the peppers and also make sure to discard the seeds from the pepper.
3. Slice the red peppers into strips, after this cut these into small squares.
Summary
It is fine to give your bearded dragon red peppers. You can also feed your bearded dragons other colored bell peppers. You can feed the red peppers to your Bearded dragons one time or two times a month. It is not a staple diet but you can give it as a ty treat. This amount gives all the benefits without any serious concern.
I am Nick James, I have been three male beardies since 2015. I love to take care of my pets and their diet. Here, I am sharing my personal experiences and strategies to grow up your cute pet.
