In the world of exotic pets, few are as unique as the water dragon. The water dragon is a type of lizard native to Australia, Southeast Asia, and New Guinea, and it isn’t all that uncommon for people who love exotic pets. They are also called Thai water dragons, Chinese water dragons, and green water dragons, and they are usually no more than around three feet in length. Despite the way these animals look to some people, they are actually quite harmless, especially when you learn to handle them properly.
What Do Water Dragons Like to Eat?
If you choose to have a water dragon as a pet, one of the first things you’ll likely wonder about is the water dragon diet. In other words, what do these animals eat, and how much do they need to eat to survive? First of all, water dragons eat mostly live animals, including earthworms, grasshoppers, crickets, feeder fish, and mealworms. That being said, you can add fruits and veggies to their diets as well, and it’s best if you change what you feed them every other day or so.
Water dragons also need a lot of calcium, so a good supplement is worth providing to them. They especially need vitamins A and D in addition to calcium, but vitamin A should be limited because too much of it can cause damage to their liver. As far as veggies are concerned, most of them are not off-limits to your water dragon, but keep in mind that 90–95% of their diet should come from meats and live foods, with only 5–10% coming from fruits and vegetables.
Some of the vegetables worth giving to your water dragon include:
- Peas
- Collard greens
- Carrots
- Green beans
- Parsley
- Kale
- Cucumbers
- Sweet potatoes
- Squash
- Green peppers
Can Water Dragons Eat Bananas?
You might’ve already wondered, can water dragons eat bananas? The answer to this question is “yes,” they can. The only thing you have to remember is not to give them bananas frequently, as bananas shouldn’t be a regular part of their diet. Why? Because bananas are very high in both phosphorus and sugar, and therefore, they should be considered a treat and never a meal. Most owners of water dragons feed them bananas no more than once a month, and this is a good number because it causes no harm to the animal.
As far as bananas and even other fruits are concerned, they have to be both nutritious and easy for the water dragon to eat. Keep in mind that water dragons have sharp claws and can cut through most pieces of fruit. Still, you’ll want to make sure the pieces are relatively small. With bananas, this won’t matter much because bananas are so soft, but you still won’t be able to feed them the bananas often
So if you can’t feed them bananas very often, what types of fruit can you feed them the rest of the time? Some of the best fruits to feed your water dragon include apples, cantaloupe, papaya, grapes, pears, and mangoes. Remember that many fruits have large amounts of sugar in them, and even though it is natural and not refined sugar, it is still bad for the animal, just as too much sugar is bad for humans. And if you keep in mind that only small amounts of fruits and vegetables are necessary for water dragons to grow and thrive, that’ll help you feel better about feeding them mostly live feed.
How Often Do Water Dragons Need to Eat?
If you have a baby water dragon, you’ll have to feed it on a daily basis. Once it reaches adult status, you only have to feed it every two to three days. Of course, if your water dragon is recovering from an infection or an illness, you might want to feed it daily until it recovers. Otherwise, every two to three days is more than enough for an adult water dragon to eat. You should also know that it is not that uncommon for water dragons occasionally to stop eating for a few days, so don’t panic if this ever happens.
Like all animals, water dragons need a balanced diet in order to grow and thrive, which is why adding small amounts of fruits and vegetables to their diet is highly recommended. While their diet should consist mostly of live animals, feeding them small amounts of fruits and veggies, including bananas, provides them with the well-balanced nutrition they need to stay healthy.
Conclusion
Water dragons are popular exotic pets and are easy to take care of, and even though they feed mostly off of live animals such as crickets and mealworms, they can handle small amounts of fruits and vegetables as well. Just be careful with the bananas and only let them have the fruit about once a month because otherwise, it is too much sugar for them.
