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Can Bearded Dragons Eat Ladybugs?

We have seen a large number of different people reaching out and asking if bearded dragons can eat ladybugs or not recently so we wanted to publish this article.

Things like this are expected though as bearded dragons have seen a huge spike in popularity recently and we are just getting to summer so ladybugs are everywhere so many bearded dragon keepers are wondering if their beardies can eat ladybugs or not.

All species of ladybugs have some level of toxicity to them that they have evolved to have as a natural defense to try and prevent lizards from eating them.

This is why you should not feed ladybugs to your pet bearded dragon as they can cause vomiting and other issues in your bearded dragon, especially if they are consumed in large quantities.

There are a huge range of other insects that are perfectly safe for your pet bearded dragon to eat instead of ladybugs that you should use instead.

In addition to there, there are also a range of perfectly safe fruit and vegetables that you can feed your pet bearded dragon instead of ladybugs too that most bearded dragons love to eat really opening up what you are able to include in the diet of your beardie.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Ladybugs?

Bearded dragons should not eat ladybugs if it is avoidable and ladybugs should never intentionally be fed to your pet bearded dragon.

If your pet bearded dragon does randomly manage to eat one ladybug then it won’t usually be an issue though but in most cases, they really should be avoided.

In addition to the potential problems with the various toxins in ladybugs, you also have to factor in that there is a distinct lack of nutrition and calories in a bearded dragon too.

With the reasons quickly stacking up against feeding your bearded dragon ladybugs we would always recommend that you use some Fluker's Buffet Blend Adult Bearded Dragon Veggie Variety Diet, 4.5 oz (76042) instead.

Due to what bearded dragons are able to safely eat, there really is a wide range of kitchen scraps from your own meals that you are able to use as a treat food for your pet bearded dragon too.

This further reduces the need for you to even consider feeding ladybugs to your pet bearded dragon due to how wide their pallet is for suitable, bearded dragon safe foods offering a ton of alternative food options.

What Should I Feed My Bearded Dragon Instead Of Ladybugs?

Some excellent alternatives that you are able to feed to your pet bearded dragon instead of ladybugs include dubia roaches, wax worms, goliath worms, mealworms, crickets, phoenix worms, and butterworms.

Each of them have a much better nutritional profile for both vitamins and minerals as well as macronutrients making them a much better fit than ladybugs.

In addition to the better nutritional values, those ladybug alternatives also lack the toxic risk that ladybugs present to your bearded dragon too while also including some of the most popular food options for bearded dragons too.

Both mealworms and wax worms are so popular for bearded dragons right now that we actually have a dedicated mealworms vs wax worms comparison article.

Although insects and other sources of meat should usually be kept to their own section in the diet of a bearded dragon due to being the protein source for the animal, you can also use various fruits and vegetables as a ladybug alternative too.

Most bearded dragons tend to really enjoy eating things like apples and cabbage being very popular foods but foods like bean sprouts for bearded dragons should usually be avoided or kept to a minimum if possible.

Are Ladybugs Poisonous To Bearded Dragons?

Ladybugs are toxic with all species of ladybug having some level of toxicity to them that can affect your pet bearded dragon in a different way.

Ladybugs are not technically poisonous as their toxicity levels are so low but in large enough quantities, they can cause a number of problems in your bearded dragon with lighter symptoms being lethargy ranging up to vomiting and various other problems.

In small quantities, a ladybug should not cause any serious problems with your bearded dragon though.

If a random wild ladybug manages to get into your bearded dragons vivarium and your bearded dragon eats it then there will usually be nothing to worry about. At worse, your beardie may vomit for a short while but it shouldn’t really have any real, serious problems.

Please note that different species of ladybugs can have very different toxicity levels though so this will play a large role in how your bearded dragon reacts after eating ladybug.

This is why so many people on social media report very different symptoms in their pet bearded dragons after seeing them eat a ladybug.

There are a very small number of lady bug species out there that can result in bad symptoms in your bearded dragon that are usually yellow with black spots so always keep that in mind too.

My Bearded Dragon Ate A Ladybug, What Should I Do?

In most cases, if you see your pet bearded dragon eat one ladybug that wandered into its vivarium, there is no need to worry as symptoms will be minimal.

If you have accidentally been feeding your bearded dragons ladybugs, especially the yellow and black ones then you may want to see professional advice from a veterinarian as the more ladybugs a bearded dragon eats, the higher the danger of the toxins in the ladybugs become.

If your bearded dragon has eaten a lot of ladybugs then booking a video call with a veterinarian to have them assess your beardie via the camera on your smartphone while asking you a few questions may be a good idea.

They will be able to offer you their professional opinion on the situations for your bearded dragon while also be able to send you some medication if required but it is rare that medication will be required for a bearded dragon that has eaten a ladybug.

Conclusion

That brings our article going over if a bearded dragon can eat a ladybug or not to an end. We hope that we have been helpful and that we have been able to help our readers better understand that they should usually avoid feeding their beardies ladybugs as the risks are just too high while there really are not many rewards due to the poor nutritional profile of ladybugs.