Can Bearded Dragons Eat Apples

Apples are considered a healthy choice for people, but should only be used as an occasional treat for bearded dragons. Below is the complete nutrition profile for the average apple without skin.

Nutrition and Health Risks

Keep in mind that while bearded dragons are omnivores, they are from a desert environment. So their bodies have adapted to the foods native to that climate. Apples today are much sweeter and have a different nutrition profile than fruits bearded dragons eat in the wild. With that said, below are the main health concerns with apples.

The main issue with apples is the Calcium to Phosphorus ratio. As you can see in the nutrition table above, apples have a Ca:P ratio of 0.5:1, or twice as much Phosphorus as Calcium. This is important because bearded dragons need calcium to stay healthy and phosphorus blocks calcium absorption. Foods containing more phosphorus than calcium are ideal because the extra calcium will be absorbed by your beardie.

Nearly 10% of an apple's weight is natural sugar (without the core or skin). This makes them delicious, but that's a lot of sugar for a small reptile. Too much sugar can interrupt their digestion, lead to obesity, and cause plaque build-up in the mouth.

Most bearded dragons will enjoy apples. However, they should only feed your beardie apples as treats no more than once or twice per week.

How to Prepare Apples

Don't feed your bearded dragon the entire apple. That would be similar feeding a child an entire birthday cake. Instead, cut the apple into segments and only use one or two of the segments for treats.

Before feeding the apple you should verify the core, seeds, and stem have been removed. You should also remove all the skin as it's difficult for some beardies to eat. Cut the apple into thin slices about the size of a large coin. Lastly, make sure the apple slices are not too large. They should be shorter and skinnier than the distance between your beardies eyes. If the apple pieces are too large they will need to be cut so they don't pose a choking risk.

There's a lot covered on this page, so we've made a list of the most common questions with answers below.