Did you know that bearded dragons can eat yams and sweet potatoes? They do! That means that you can feed your bearded dragon yams and sweet potatoes as well. Just make sure you cut them into small pieces first so they won’t get choked on them.
I’ll tell you everything you need to know about feeding your bearded dragon yams or sweet potatoes.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Sweet Yams/Potatoes?
Sweet potatoes are a great food for bearded dragons. They provide lots of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, manganese, niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, folate, pantothenic acid, biotin, and B6.
However, if you give your bearded dragon too many sweet potatoes, it may become sick. Too many sweet potatoes could cause Vitamin A toxicity or interfere with their ability to absorb calcium. Limit them to a few times per week.
As long as you take care to feed them properly, your bearded dragon will appreciate the sweet potato treats. And at least we think they’re thanking you — with bearded reptiles, it’s kind of hard to tell.
Are Yams/Sweet Potatoes Safe for Bearded Dragons?
Bearded dragons are herbivores, meaning they eat plants. And sweet potatoes are definitely planted foods. But if you give your bearded dragon too many sweet potatoes, it may experience vitamin A toxicity.
Vitamin A is important for healthy skin and eyes, so keep your bearded dragon away from sweet potatoes. You’d be surprised how quickly a bearded dragon will consume a whole sweet potato.
But if you do decide to give your bearded dragon sweet potatoes, make sure they get enough calcium. Calcium helps build strong bones and teeth, so make sure your lizards get plenty of calcium.
Also, make sure your bearded dragon doesn’t eat too many sweet potatoes. Too many sweet potatoes can cause vitamin A toxicity, which causes vomiting, loss of appetite and abdominal pain.
So limit your bearded dragon’s intake of sweet potatoes to once or twice per week.
Sweet Potato Vs Yams – Nutritional Comparison:
| SWEET POTATOES | YAMS | |||
| Calories | 180 | Calories | 158 | |
| Protein | 4G | Protein | 2G | |
| Carbohydrates | 41.5G | Carbohydrates | 37G | |
| Fat | 0.3G | Fat | 0 | |
| Fiber | 6.6G | Fiber | 5G | |
| Vitamin A | 796% DV | Vitamin A | 8% DV | |
| Vitamin B6 | 30% DV | Vitamin B6 | 25% DV | |
| Vitamin C | 65% DV | Vitamin C | 29% DV | |
| Manganese | 50% DV | Manganese | 22% DV | |
| Potassium | 27% DV | Potassium | 19% DV |
Sweet Potato Vs Yams – Similarities And Differences
Yams and sweet potatoes are similar in many ways. Both are high in fiber, low in fat, and rich in antioxidants. However, there are differences between the two.
One difference is that yams are sweeter than sweet potatoes. Another difference is that yams tend to be smaller than sweet potatoes.
Another important difference between the two is that yams are usually grown underground whereas sweet potatoes grow above ground. Because of this, yams are harder to find in stores. You may have to search online or visit farmers markets to find yams.
In terms of nutrition, both sweet potatoes and yams fall right in the middle on the glycemic index. This means that they cause a slow rise in blood sugar and contribute to improved satiety.
Risks When Feeding Bearded Dragons Sweet Potato
Bearded dragons are herbivores, meaning they eat plants. But if you feed them yams or sweet potatoes instead of vegetables, they may become sick or die.
Yams or sweet potatoes are high in calories and low in nutrients. And since they’re high in carbohydrates, they can upset the calcium to phosphorus ratio in your bearded dragon’s diet.
This imbalance can cause problems including paralysis, deformities, lethargy, and shrunken limbs.
So if you’re feeding your bearded dragon yams/sweet potato, make sure to only give them small amounts every day. Also, make sure to keep their diets balanced with lots of veggies and fruits.
How Often Should Bearded Dragons Eat Sweet Potato?
So if you’re feeding your bearded dragon yams or sweet potatoes, make sure to give him plenty of calcium-rich foods, like leafy greens, broccoli, kale, collard greens, almonds, and milk. You can also add calcium supplements to his food.
But remember, he shouldn’t be eating these veggies every day. He needs to eat them once per week.
Preparing Yams/sweet potatoes for your pet bearded dragon
Beardies love sweet potatoes, and there’s nothing wrong with feeding them fresh ones straight out of the oven. But if you’d rather feed them something else, then you can skip cooking them altogether.
There’s no need to cook the yam or sweet potato before serving it to your pet. You can simply cut them into bite sized pieces and serve them to your beardie.
Make sure to thoroughly wash the yam or sweet potatoes before cutting them up. And remember to remove any remaining skin.
Your bearded dragon may enjoy eating the yam or sweet potatoes raw, but you should remove the skin for safety reasons.
How to serve Sweet Potato to your beardie
To feed your bearded dragons, the best way to prepare them is by peeling the skin from the yam or sweet potato and then using the peelers to cut the potato into thin slices. This method helps make the yam or sweet potatoes much easier for them to chew.
You could add the raw yams or sweet potatoes in slices as a side dish to go with your meal or combine them with healthy greens like collards, kale, spinach, etc.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Yams/Sweet Potatoes Raw
If you plan to give your bearded dragon any kind of vegetable, fruit, grain, or egg, you need to cook it first. Otherwise, he might choke on it.
But if you’d rather serve him some yam or sweet potato, you can still do that. Just cut off the ends and boil it until soft. Then mash it up and add some water. Let it cool down completely before feeding it to your bearded dragon.
Are Yams/Sweet Potatoes Safe for Bearded Dragons
Yams and sweet potatoes are safe for bearded dragons. You should avoid feeding them any foods that are toxic to reptiles, including chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, and onions. But if you feed them potatoes, they won’t suffer any ill effects.
Potatoes are a type of root vegetable that can be fed to bearded dragons. They’re low in calories and high in fiber, so they’re great for lizards. And since they’re not poisonous to bearded dragons, they’re a healthy treat for them.
Do Bearded Dragons Eat Yams/Sweet Potato Fries?
I’m pretty sure that bearded dragons can eat Yams or sweet potato fries. But you should be mindful of the preparation methods used to cook them. You shouldn’t give your bearded dragon any fries that have been seasoned or spiced. And you definitely shouldn’t feed them any fries that have been cooked in oils. These types of fries may represent a health risk for your bearded dragon.
So if you’re thinking about feeding your bearded dragon sweet potato fries, make sure to ask yourself whether they were properly prepared. Otherwise, you might end up with a sick lizard instead of a delicious snack!
FAQs:
How can you feed potatoes to your bearded dragon?
Remember that the size of the potato slices should be smaller than any gaps between your dragons’ eye sockets so they don’t choke. If you’re feeding your lizards raw potato slices, give them only occasionally (once every few months) and always cook them first.
Are Sweet Potatoes Safe for Baby Bearded Dragons?
Baby bearded dragons should be fed nothing but fresh vegetables, especially sweet potatoes. They’re so tiny and require so many vitamins and minerals for proper development that you shouldn’t give them any treats until they’ve reached adulthood.
Conclusion:
Bearded dragons eat yams and sweet potatoes. They enjoy eating both vegetables and fruits. However, they cannot digest the fiber present in these foods.
This means that bearded dragons must consume high amounts of protein when feeding these types of food. In addition, they need to drink water frequently throughout the day.
