Reptile & Amphibian Forums

to feed my bearded some live fish?

n/p
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Keith Ecklund II
Northeast Ohio
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1.0.0 Bearded Dragons
0.0.5 Fire Bellied Toads

I advise against it. Their digestive systems are not used to that kind of meat. Besides - feeder fish have tons and tons of parasites. Feed them something that is known the be good for them. There are TONS of different feeders out there that can provide nutrition and variety: Crickets, supers, roaches, silkies, hornworms, mealies and waxies (both on occasion), mustard greens, turnip greens, collard greens, squash, and I can go on and on! Go to beautifuldragons.com for a full list of nutritional foods for beardies.

David - KDRKreatures
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David and Kevin

KDRKreatures.com
Exotic Reptile Breeders - Specializing in Bearded Dragons

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People are feeding their frogs and snakes feeder fish without gettin infested with parasites.I believe they are fine as long as they are in clean conditions.Any other opinions?

Yes- however - those snakes and fish have immune systems and digestive systems that are meant for those kinds of feeders - they can tolerate the parasites - Feeder fish do not have much nutritional value. Besides, WHY would you want to feed them that when there are so many other foods out there that are KNOWN to be healthy for them?!

David - KDRKreatures
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David and Kevin

KDRKreatures.com
Exotic Reptile Breeders - Specializing in Bearded Dragons

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I feed him all those foods that are known to be healthy but I thought he might enjoy a fish.

So what if it kills him or makes him sick, it's ony a lizard.

Can you say be quiet and not be ignorant?If I didn't care about him living or dying apparently I wouldn't be asking on a forum now would I?So I am going to forgive you cause you probably had a bad day and your taking your actions out on someone else.Hope you feel better.

Don't forgive me; just don't do something stupid or cruel to your beardie.

No on the contrary don't be so modest I forgive you.When someone asks a question it's not very polite to insinuate that they don't care about about their animal.

Some animals are designed for fish to be among their natural food choices. Beardies are from the desert.

Besides, "some people" will feed anything to an animal, for novelty's sake and who knows what other reasons. Why take a risk like that? Your beardie certainly is not going to be lacking anything by not feeding it unusual items, and may suffer as a result. Again, why take the risk?

I don't mean to sound 'snippy', really, but questions like this come up just often enough (and not just with regard to beardies) that it seems irresponsible to not be emphatic about the reasons NOT to get creative with an animal's diet when given the opportunity to express the concern. I do commend you for taking the time, and having enough concern, to ask. That was responsible of you.

NO. Please think about it: fish in no way would be found naturally in a beardie's diet. Even if it would eat it, which it might, you have no way of knowing what pathogens you might be introducing. Please don't get creative with your beardie's diet beyond varying the veggies from among appropriate types. Appropriate feeder insects are widely available, why take risks?

"fish in no way would be found naturally in a beardie's diet," although i do not keep beardies and i am not arguing against you on this, but i'm just letting you know, that reason really isn't really the answer. Because Ball Pythons (im 99% sure it is ball pythons) don't eat mice in the wild but in captivity they do, and that is what they are fed. Although beardies arent exactly ball pythons, i though i would just let you know that because it isnt found eating it in the wild, doesnt mean it can't eat it in captivity.

It's certainly true that animals in captivity eat foods that would not be a naturally occuring part of their diet in the wild. I'm fairly certain that summer squash isn't found in the Australian desert . Lab mice/rats aren't found, well...much of anywhere outside labs, but they *are* rodents. If gerbils were not so expensive compared to feeder mice and rats, more people probably would feed gerbils (Their pythons would be ecstatic ). A more accurate comparison would be feeding lizards instead of, or as a supplement to, rodents to captive Balls.

Perhaps I phrased it too simplisticly, but the underlying point is that animal's digestive and immune systems, and their tolerance for certain pathogens and parasites, is determined by nature and that by varying too widely outside those foods that they could be expected to eat naturally, one runs the risk of introducing things that an animal's system is not equipped to deal with. It's an unecessary risk when more appropriate foods are widely available.
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4.3 Bearded Dragons (Rescues)
1.0 Corn snake (Rescue)
0.1 California King
4.5 Royal (Ball) Pythons (3 rescues)
1.1 Dogs (Rescues)
2.0 Cats (Rescues)
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No, it's NOT a big house

True, Btw it was hognose snakes that dont eat mice in the wild, sorry i got confused.

I just wonder....

your nick here of "Laws-Yes" is it a reference to having a simple mind?

Hey I am not really trying to flame you but I have to say I wonder if you gave it some thought as to how many folks would reply with the same set of replies: No, don't, bad, and so on...

I think all the other posts covered the bases well...

but just for forms sake: would you feed a cow with fish?
would you feed a dog a diet of pinto beans?
would you feed a raptor potatos?

none of them make for a proper food for the animal.

Nuff Said.
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Actually, you cannot compare a cow to a beardie because beardeds can eat some kind of meat, where as cows are herbovores not omnivores like beardeds are. So of course a cow isnt going to eat one. But it would have been possible for a bearded too. Dont see why you had to be so rude to laws-yes, i bet hes willing to forgive you too for having a bad day like "shook" was.

>>Actually, you cannot compare a cow to a beardie because beardeds can eat some kind of meat, where as cows are herbovores not omnivores like beardeds are.

Alright, He was trying to make a point, and he made it quite well. There is not need to get technical, it was a simile. Let it go.

David
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David and Kevin

KDRKreatures.com
Exotic Reptile Breeders - Specializing in Bearded Dragons

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Not really, how can you make a point without giving good reasons? I mean come on, its common sense that a cow wouldnt eat meat because its a HERBIVORE not an omnivore.... Also the raptor and a patato... again come on, raptor = carnivore not omnivore... But a bearded does have the possibility...

Again - Straying from the subject. So he used bad metaphors. The point is, fish should not be fed to bearded dragons, IMO. Dont dwell on the small mistakes that were made, please look at the big picture. Do what you will.

David
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David and Kevin

KDRKreatures.com
Exotic Reptile Breeders - Specializing in Bearded Dragons

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How can you make a comparision between a bearded eating fish and a raptor a potato?My name is laws-yes because its what my favorite character in the book The Stand by stephen king says....I don't have a simple mind in fact it just might rival yours......Merry Christmas

Actually you can make the comparison of a raptor eating a potato and a bearded eating fish because they both SHOULDNT HAPPEN. Beardeds should not eat fish. Raptors should not eat potatoes. End of story.

David - KDRKreatures
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David and Kevin

KDRKreatures.com
Exotic Reptile Breeders - Specializing in Bearded Dragons

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Again, it is possible... Why do you even try to post an answer when you don't even compare things that are actually comparable. A raptor only eats meat not veggies, but beardies eat both meat and veggies. They can happen so stop acting like law-yes's question is stupid and shows that he is cruel to his animals becasue HE WOULDNT HAVE POSTED IF HE WAS CRUEL TO HIS HERPS.

I never once said he was cruel to his animals, Im just giving advice. Im done here.

David
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David and Kevin

KDRKreatures.com
Exotic Reptile Breeders - Specializing in Bearded Dragons

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I am always amazed how people freak out when someone asks about feeding fish to reptiles. I have a Western Hognose, and on the Hog forums you get flamed if you even hint you feed some fish to your Hogs. But feeding Ruby Red feeder fish is what nourished my Hog while I gradually got her to eat F/T mice. And to this day I scent the mice with canned tuna water. Though many would trash me, my Hog is now two years old, very healthy and eats every week (hogs are notorious hard feeders).

I feed my Dragon (Neo) Dandelion Greens and flowers, Clover, Crix, dry Dragon food, F/T Fuzzy mice, chrysanthemums, apples, grapes, and will attempt to feed him anything that I think he might like. I have not tried a fish yet, but will simply because why not. Variety is the spice of life, and anything that gets Neo excited I want to provide. Those of you that want to stick with the circular info that goes round and round on these forums, than do so. But, please do not be rude or trash people that dare to not think exactly like you. Neo, by the way, is 2 plus years old and a very active and interactive pet.

Ball Pythons eat Gerbils in the wild, so yes a mouse is not a natural prey item for them. I have kept BP’s off and on for decades, and they nearly have an orgasm if you give them a Gerbil. Yet they will live 30 years on a diet of rats. Remember, a genetically healthy animal wants to live. They will eat and thrive if we simply work with them instead of against them. They will survive on a diet of “x”, but in reality they may thrive on a diet of “y”. If no one went outside the norm, then no discovery would ever be made. I believe that no one is really an expert on the keeping of animals, because each animal is unique. The important thing is to be involved with your pet. Does not matter if it’s a dog, cat, snake, bird or Bearded Dragon. Just my opinion.
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0.1 Western Hognose
1.0 Bearded Dragon
0.1 Common Corn

You made some good points, however, you must use good judgement when choosing that variety. Would you, to give your (lets say parrot here) parrot variety, give it chocolate? The answer is lets hope not!. It is bad for them. Just to give your bearded variety, why give it something bad for it? Fish ARE bad for it, after all. They do not eat it, nor anything related to it, in the wild, and shouldnt in captivity. They are high in parasites that the beardie is not immune to, and the nutrition factor is questionable.

David
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David and Kevin

KDRKreatures.com
Exotic Reptile Breeders - Specializing in Bearded Dragons

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Ground up sheep parts were given to the cows in their food. End result?

The other thing I would question is that fact that alot of people here are not real big on giving their beardies anoles and pinkies, stating that all those bones are hard for them to digest...ever see a dead fish? All sharp bones.

"They do not eat it, nor anything related to it, in the wild, and shouldnt in captivity"

You do realize that in the wild hognose snakes DO NOT eat mice in the wild, but in captivity that is their staple food. Just because it doesn't eat something in the wild doesn't mean it can't be feed to them in the wild. If the fish didn't have parasites (you can obtain this by treating the ones with parasites then breed them and your colony will be free of parasites) would it be ok for a beardie? Some one else answer because this kid is just stubborn and thinks that what they eat in the wild is what MUST eat in captivity.

Please, do not condescend to me, calling me stubborn and all. You asked, I responded, giving my advice like you asked. Take it to heart or throw it away, doesn't really matter to me. Im just trying to help you out.

We are not talking about hognose snakes here, and never did I say all reptiles should not eat things that they dont eat in the wild. Read the other posts above, I think that the people on this board have made it clear what they think.

David
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David and Kevin

KDRKreatures.com
Exotic Reptile Breeders - Specializing in Bearded Dragons

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