Can Bearded Dragon Eat Nightcrawlers?

Let me give you a clear-cut answer “Can Bearded Dragon Eat Nightcrawlers” without making it too complicated. Yes, Bearded Dragon can in fact eat nightcrawlers.

So, what happens when you feed these insects? Is it nutritious for them? To find out everything on this matter read our article on can bearded dragons eat nightcrawlers.

In the wild bearded dragons survive on a large range of insects. That is after all their main food source. So, it can sometimes be tempting to feed nightcrawlers to your precious pet.

Especially since you can easily get it from your backyard or back gardens. Though bearded dragons can eat nightcrawlers, we would not advise you to feed the ones you can collect from your yards. 

These ones are not processed and many contain poisonous parasites. So, they may harm your pet rather than give it the nutrition. So, which one should you feed them? Do you want to know? Well then read through our whole article to find out.

Can Bearded Dragon Eat Nightcrawlers

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Canadian Nightcrawlers?

Canadian nightcrawlers are just another name for Big large red earthworms. In the scientific world, it goes with the name Lumbricus Terrestris. In this part, we’ll discuss about can bearded dragons eat Canadian nightcrawlers or not.

It is generally 25 cm long.   However, in 2012 in China scientists found a Canadian nightcrawler that was about 50 cm.

This sort of insect can be found all over the globe. The general availability makes it a great food for pet nightcrawlers. But sadly, you can’t just take a Canadian nightcrawler from any wild source and feed it to your pet.

It all needs proper care and attention before you feed anything to a beardie. That is why we will be discussing so much about can bearded dragons eat nightcrawlers or not.

Canadian nightcrawler

 Wild insects often have dangerous parasites attached to them.  So, you need to buy one from an official breeder. In most Pet stores for fishing equipment shops, you will find Canadian nightcrawlers.  They are often sold in bulk.

So, you can store them and feed your bearded dragon for a few weeks. As this is such a treat for your pet, you can feed it about 2 to 3 Canadian nightcrawlers every day.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Earthworms?

Earthworms are a rich source of protein for bearded Dragons. They contain great nutrition value and it would be a wise move to feed earthworms to your bearded Dragons on a regular basis.

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On a regular basis, we don’t necessarily mean every day. Earthworms have huge amounts of fat and calcium (phosphorous ratio). So, if you feed earthworms to your bearded dragon every day then it might cause obesity issues. That is why people get confused a lot regarding can bearded dragons eat nightcrawlers and can bearded dragons eat earthworms or not.

So, we advise that you feed your adult bearded dragon 50 earthworms per week. And if your pet is still a child, you should minimize the amount. Feed it 10 to 20 per week in that case.

Again, I would like to remind you to buy it from any local or online store.

Earthworms

Can Bearded Dragon Eat Nightcrawlers?

Nightcrawlers are a member of the earthworm family scientifically known as Lumbricus Terrestris. So far, nightcrawlers are the largest earthworm species out there. It lengths about 8 to 10 inches and is black in color.

This species native home in Europe and Asia but nowadays many breeders largely grow them to sell it as pet food or fishing bait. Unsurprisingly, nightcrawlers are one of the most favorite foods of the bearded Dragon. Like an earthworm, your pet can consume nightcrawlers as well.

Make sure to get one from a good pet store. Even if you see any nightcrawlers in your backyard or in the wild while on a hunting trip, don’t bring it back to feed it to your beloved pet. 

Most wild worms contain poison inside of them. You don’t want your bearded dragon to end up in a vet’s ICU, do you?

Nightcrawlers

Nutritive value of Nightcrawlers

In 2010, China Agricultural University in Beijing did some research on nightcrawlers to find their nutritious value for any pet. The results look promising. One thing is for sure, with nightcrawlers you don’t have to worry about your bearded dragon eating junks with no food value.

The nutrition value for nightcrawlers is very high. Let’s look at per nightcrawler’s nutrients and food value.

NutrientsFood Value
Fat1.6
Calcium, mg/kg          444
Iron, mg/kg50.4
Manganese, mg/kg1.3
Zinc, mg/kg17.7
Moisture, %83.6
Crude protein, %10.5
Potassium, mg/kg1820
Sodium, mg/kg965
Iron, mg/kg50.4
Chloride, mg/kg910
Phosphorus, mg/kg1590
Amino Acid78.79

If we compare it with fish and eggs, we can see that nightcrawlers’ amino acid and protein value closely compete with regular eggs and fish. Moreover, the amount is higher than that of cow soybean meal and milk powder.

How to Feed Nightcrawlers to The Bearded Dragon

Now before making your bearded dragon consume nightcrawlers, you need to keep some things in mind. They are certain precautions you need to take and then feed it to your pet.

  • The first thing you need to make sure of is that you have brought the nightcrawlers from a reputable food store. It would be even better if you grow it on your own. However, that can be a Tedious and time consuming process. And if you are not an official breeder, you can make many mistakes while growing them.
  • After buying them you should gut load some veggies for extra nutrients.
  • Wash the worms before feeding it to your bearded dragon.
  •  Take away any excess worms after your bearded dragon is done with eating within 20 minutes.
  • You can throw away this excess amount or feed it to any other pet.
  • If you buy worms in bulk then store them in a cold storage.

How many Nightcrawlers Should I Feed My Bearded Dragon

Nightcrawlers have a large amount of phosphorus, Fat, potassium, and Minerals. On one hand, they can be a good source of Nutrition on the other hand if you make your pet consume these worms in a large quantity then they can cause some serious problems. So how much should you feed them?

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Well, the research team of China Agricultural University gave the answer to that. If your bearded dragon is still young then you should feed it about 20 nightcrawlers after every three to four days.

And if your pet is a fully grown male then it is advisable to feed it 50 worms every five days and for females about 40 nightcrawlers after every five to six days.

But if you still stubbornly make it consume more than that you will face consequences. You see, domestic pets aren’t as active as wild ones. They don’t get to frequently hop around to find their food or lodging.

So, consuming too much fat and potassium will make your bearded dragon become heavy and lazy. Too much mineral intake might bloat their hands and legs. In no time you will need to buy a bigger case to contain them.

And once your reptile develops a habit of consuming too many nightcrawlers they will want more and more. It will be hard for you to get them off of them.

Are Nightcrawlers poisonous?

Nightcrawlers are not poisonous. At least not the ones that were bred by humans for commercial purposes. Nightcrawlers are not only a food source for bearded dragons but also for birds, snakes, toads, and many other animals.

You have to consider one thing though; pets are more sensitive than wild ones. They can easily consume anything and the toxin won’t affect them. They even have the natural instinct of differentiating toxin and non-toxic foods. Since they are born and brought up in nature.

But domestic animals don’t possess that instinct. So, you need to feed it poison-free foods.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Mealworms?

Yes, Bearded dragons can eat mealworms. Mealworms are one of the most well-known pet feeders at present.

People feed them to their birds, fishes, poultry, etc. They contain about the same nutrition value as nightcrawlers.

It has about 19 percent protein and 17 percent fat.  So don’t be surprised if your bearded dragon instantly becomes a fan of them.

Mealworms

Can Bearded Dragons Have Red Wigglers

This is one of the most common questions asked by bearded dragon owners, “can bearded dragons eat red wigglers?”. Red worms are usually not a preferred food for bearded dragons. They are red in color and mostly look like an earthworm however they pose many health risks.

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So, we won’t advise you to feat it to your bearded dragon. One funny thing you should know about red wigglers is that its scientific name is foul-smelling. Now just think if its name contains foul how good they can be right?

Moreover, rate wigglers don’t even contain much nutritious value. Far from it actually.  You won’t easily find it in any Pet store and most of them are toxic.

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Bait Worms?

Do you know what bait worms are? They are a type of earthworm that you can find at bait and tackle shops. These types of worms are mostly sold for the purpose of catching fish. Fishermen mostly call it angleworm.

Wait verbs are not bred by any store owners. They are usually hunted down from any wild area and sold in a large quantity. So you can easily guess Where I am about to go with this. Since bait worms are taken from wild areas, they contain toxins and parasites inside of them.

Moreover, they are usually kept in unsanitary conditions.  Naturally, there is a chance that bait worms have greater chances of harming your pet bearded dragon. So, you should not feed it to your reptile.

 Bait Worms

Can Bearded Dragons Eat Worms from Outside?

I want to say that all bearded Dragons cannot eat worms from outside. because wild animals have greater natural instincts so they can easily differentiate between their foods. Wild bearded Dragons can easily decide what they should and shouldn’t eat.

However, pets don’t possess that instant so you shouldn’t feed your pet bearded Dragon much less any pet animal worms from the outside.  you should also make sure that they don’t accidentally consume any worms of that sort.

Can a bearded dragon eat regular earthworms?

Regular earthworms are a treat for your pet. So, contain higher food value. Bearded dragons can consume them on a weekly basis.
Make sure to feed your pet 50 to 60 store-bought regular earthworms every week.

What worms are safe for bearded dragons?

Apart from nightcrawlers and regular earthworms you can also feed other worms to your bearded dragon.
Here is a list of that:
● Waxworm (Moisture – 61%, Fat – 21%, Protein – 15%, Calcium – 28.3mg/100 mg)
● Butterworms (Moisture – 58.5%, Protein – 16%, Fat – 5%, Calcium – 430ppm)
● Crickets (Moisture – 62.9%, Proteins – 20.5%. Fats – 6.8%, Fiber – 2.2%)
● Superworms (Moisture – 62%, Protein – 19.06%, Fat – 14%, Fiber – 2.6%, Calcium 173ppm)
● Silkworms
● Hornworms

Can bearded dragons eat nightcrawlers?

Yes, bearded dragons can consume nightcrawlers. They have high food value that helps in the development of your pet.

How many Nightcrawlers Can a bearded dragon eat?

A fully grown bearded dragon can eat about 50 to 60 nightcrawlers every 3 to four days. For females, you should feed about 30 to 40 nightcrawlers after every 3 days.

Can reptiles eat Nightcrawlers?

Almost all the reptiles have the likeness for nightcrawlers. Apart from bearded dragons, snakes also like them.

Can water dragons eat Nightcrawlers?

Yes, water dragons can eat nightcrawlers on daily basis. You can feed it about 20 to 30 per day.

How often can I feed my bearded dragon earthworms?

You should feed your dragon nightcrawlers after every 4 to five days

We always want the best for our pets. And food is one of those things that determine the sustainability of our beloved pet. So, you must always choose the best food for your reptile. One thing we must always keep in mind is that not everything is suitable for everyone. Like humans’ pets need much care and the foods that will give them nutrition for their development. So, I hope you have now gotten your answer to the question of can bearded dragons to eat nightcrawlers. Now choose the best brand and treat it to your pet.

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