Pears and Bearded Dragons
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Can Bearded Dragons Eat Pears?

Bearded dragons are omnivores, so many people assume they can eat a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and insects. However, beardies are native to dry desert climates of Australia so the foods their bodies have adapted to are different from what we purchase at the grocery.

Pears grow in the Northern Hemisphere and require a wet climate, so they would never be a fruit bearded dragons would find or consume in Australian deserts. They are also sweeter than most of the food native bearded dragons eat.

Pear Nutrition Profile

Below is the complete nutrition profile of raw pears.

Reptile Nutrition

Pears (raw)Per 100g Serving
Core
Calories57Cal
Water Content83.96g
Carbohydrates15.23g
Total Carbohydrate15.23g
Fiber, total dietary3.1g
Sugars9.75g
Fructose6.42g
Glucose2.6g
Sucrose0.71g
Fat0.14g
Total Fat0.14g
Total saturated0.022g
16:00.017g
18:00.003g
Total monounsaturated0.084g
16:10.002g
18:10.081g
20:10.001g
Total polyunsaturated0.094g
18:20.093g
18:30.001g
Proteins0.36g
Protein0.36g
Alanine0.014g
Arginine0.01g
Aspartic acid0.105g
Betaine0.2mg
Cystine0.002g
Glutamic acid0.03g
Glycine0.013g
Histidine0.002g
Isoleucine0.011g
Leucine0.019g
Lysine0.017g
Methionine0.002g
Phenylalanine0.011g
Proline0.021g
Serine0.015g
Threonine0.011g
Tryptophan0.002g
Tyrosine0.002g
Valine0.017g
Minerals
Calcium, Ca9mg
Copper0.082mg
Fluoride2.2μg
Iron0.18mg
Magnesium7mg
Manganese0.048mg
Phosphorus, P12mg
Potassium, K116mg
Selenium0.1μg
Sodium1mg
Zinc0.1mg
Vitamins
Vitamin A, IU25IU
Vitamin A, RAE1μg
Alpha-carotene1μg
Beta Cryptoxanthin2μg
Beta-carotene14μg
Lutein + Zeaxanthin44μg
Vitamin B1 (Thiamin)0.012mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)0.026mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)0.161mg
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid)0.049mg
Vitamin B60.029mg
Vitamin B9 (Folate)7μg
Folate (from food)7μg
Folate (dietary equivalent)7μg
Vitamin C4.3mg
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol)0.12mg
Gamma Tocopherol0.03mg
Alpha Tocotrienol0.02mg
Vitamin K1 (phylloquinone)4.4μg
Choline5.1mg
Sterols
Phytosterols8mg
Other
Oxalates2mg
pH4
Nutrition Scores
Ca:P Ratio0.8:1
Ca:P RatingPoor
Safe to FeedOnce per week
HealthinessFair

Notes/Instructions: Remove skin, core, and seeds. Cut to small thin pieces.
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Areas of Interest

Below are the main areas of interest with feeding pears to bearded dragons.

High Sugar Content

As previously mentioned, pears have a much higher sugar content than foods bearded dragons normally consume. Too much sugar can cause digestive discomfort and overtime can lead to dental and mouth issues. Sugar can also contribute to weight gain.

Phosphorus to Calcium Ratio

Bearded dragons need calcium for skeletal health. A prolonged calcium deficiency will lead to metabolic bone disease and may cause other health issues. Ideally you want your bearded dragon's diet to have twice as much calcium than phosphorus. The easiest way to explain why is to assume each mg of phosphorus will block 1mg of calcium from being absorbed. Pears have less calcium than phosphorus so the excess phosphorus will bind to other calcium sources which will create a deficit. Pears have a better Ca:P ratio than other fruits like apples, so occasionally feeding them pears as treats shouldn't cause any concern.

How to Serve Pears to Bearded Dragons

Bearded dragons normally enjoy eating pears due to their higher sugar and moisture content. Since pears are not the healthiest food choice, they should only be served to bearded dragons occasionally as treats no more than once or twice per week.

Preparation

Don't plan on feeding the entire pear to your beardie. That would be a large treat and a lot of sugar. Instead, cut the pear into segments and only feed one or two of those segments.

First off, remove the peel (skin) from the pear. The pear's skin is difficult for beardies to chew and digest so it should always be removed. You should also remove the stem, core, and seeds.

Cutting and Serving

You don't want to feed too large of pieces to your beardie. Each piece should be a thin slice about the size of a coin. If the piece is wider or larger than the distance between your beardies eyes, it will need to be re-cut as it's too big.

Feed them to your beardie one at a time or mix them in a small dish with other foods.

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