Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 2 year old female dragon that won't touch her greens. She eats crickets with no problem, but never touches anything else. I tried all sorts of fruit and vegetables everyday in a bowl with no results. When she eats a cricket I sometimes place some fruit or veges in her mouth, and that's all she gets. Any suggestions???? Thanks in advance

How often are you feeding her crickets? How big is she? Length? Weight?

At 2 years old, at most she should get live food once a day. My concern is that she is holding out for the crickets and therefore doesn't eat the vegitables. If she keeps eating only crickets it's likely that she will become obese.

I feed mine crickets first in the morning and then leave the salad in all day. Sometimes I'll give them silkworms later in the day only if they have eaten their salads. I feel this way they don't learn to hold out for live food.

Another poster said to put silkworms on their salads and that they would get some greens that way. Although I agree with the idea mine are quite good at eating the silkworms without getting any salad. But it's worth a try for you.

I just think if live food isn't so available she'll give the salad a try.

She is a little smaller than her brother (who eats everything). Oh, her brother is in a seperate terarium. Normally we give them greens in the morning, and than around dinner time we feed them live food. We tried giving her only greens and she didn't eat for a couple of days so I got scared and fed her live food again. I can only get wax worms here cause I am in Germany (USAF) and I even placed them in the food dish with the greens with no success. Hand feeding her doesn't work cause she closes her eyes. This wasn't a problem about 6 months ago. I don't know if I should keep feeding her live food, and offering her greens or abandon the live food one more time.
Thanks again

What kind of greens? ALL of my animals hate spinach. I feed my dragons red and green leaf lettuce and kale.

I would try feeding the live food in the am. Wait a few hours and then put in the salads. I used to put salads in first thing but they would hold out for live food and the salads would just get dried out.

Salads should consist of: Collard, Mustard, Turnip Greens, escarole, endive or Dandelion are best. Red and Green leaf lettuce have almost no nutritional value. Kale, Cabbage, Spinach, Broccoli and others in this family should be fed rarely.

There is a great list with nutritional values at:

http://www.beautifuldragons.503xtreme.com/Nutrition.html

Wax worms are like cream cakes to beardies, so she's probs not eating her greens coz she feels full. They should only be fed maybe as a little treat as there fat content is really high.
Imagine urself eating 10 donuts, then someone offering u a salad...would u eat it? :OD
I'd set about finding an alternate live food for her. Silkies are the best to feed in my opinion and can be bought online and shipped to germany. I'm sure if you searched on the net u'd maybe find suppliers of various live food either in your area or companies willing to ship to your country.

Hope u manage to get her on a balanced diet and eating well soon.
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Kat

1 male beardie 'Khan'