Can Bearded Dragons Eat Watermelon

We have created a nutrition label for watermelon below for you to use/reference when needed. The nutritional information has been provided by the USDA and other reliable sources.

Watermelon Health Concerns

Watermelon has a few health concerns that prevent it from being the most desirable fruit fed to bearded dragons. Below are the main areas of concern.

Watermelons nearly twice as much phosphorus than calcium. This is a concern because phosphorus prevents calcium from being absorbed. So watermelon will need to be served with other foods which are rich in calcium like kale or arugula to correct the mineral imbalance.

Oxalates are chemicals produced by plants to help manage calcium levels during development. When foods high in oxalates are consumed the oxalic acid will bind to calcium and prevent it from being absorbed. Watermelon contains 11mg of oxalates per 100g serving, which means it is considered "high" in oxalates. This means you should reduce the portion size of watermelon so the meal contains less than 10mg of oxalates. For reference, half a cup of diced watermelon weighs 75g and contains 8mg of oxalates.

Watermelon is not the healthiest choice for beardies, but it can be fed in moderation. We recommend feeding watermelon no more than once per week and reducing the serving size to half a cup or less.

Watermelon Preparation

Bearded dragons should only eat the watermelon flesh so do not serve them any watermelon rind. Cut the watermelon into small cubes to reduce the risk of your beardie choking on too large of a piece. Remove all seeds as they cannot be digested easily and can lead to impaction. Serve with veggies which are rich in calcium to offset the high levels of phosphorus.