As a bearded dragon owner, you might occasionally wonder what meals you can give your pet.
It is reasonable to wonder whether bearded dragons can safely consume snails.
The answer to the question depends on the toxicity of the snail. Not all of them have an effect on bearded dragons. The best choice is to purchase snails from a pet shop that caters particularly to bearded dragons.
If you are doubtful, stay away from giving snails to your bearded dragon. It is better to be cautious than sorry when it comes to your pet’s health.
Can bearded dragon eat snails?
Sure, bearded dragons can eat snails, but this is not usually part of their diet.
Together with other invertebrates including plants, insects, and worms, the wild bearded dragon also consumes snails. Snails are a good source of calcium and protein for bearded dragons.
However, some snails shouldn’t be given to your bearded dragon. Depending on where you live, there can be snails in your garden or yard that can harm your bearded dragon.
Make sure the snail is not toxic or otherwise harmful for bearded dragons to eat to ensure that your pet can eat it.
Bearded dragons typically don’t hesitate to try new meals.
If you’re trying to encourage your bearded dragon to eat snails for the first time, feel free to crush or chop up the snail’s shell and any other portion that could be too challenging for it to chew whole. Use of these components should safeguard your dragon’s health.
If you’re unsure whether a snail is safe for bearded dragons, see your veterinarian.
Snails don’t have the highest nutritional value of any food. Snails aren’t the ideal choice for your pet’s health and wellbeing.
Ensure that your beardie is receiving his regular intake of leafy greens, veggies, crickets, and other insects.
Are bearded dragons safe to eat snails?
Everyone has an image of a snail going forward slowly while supporting its home on its back.
You might likely find many of them in your backyard (especially if you have a vegetable or flower garden there).
You might already have snails on hand as a delightful treat if you already own a bearded dragon, a skink, or a box turtle.
You might even have a pet snail that lays eggs!
There is a lot of appeal in giving bearded dragons crunchy gastropods to eat.
You might not be as thrilled as you think you are about feeding snails to your bearded dragon.
A fantastic food source for bearded dragons is the snail.
Giant African land snails: can bearded dragons eat them?
The answer is that bearded dragons can consume African land snails.
In the same way that some other invertebrates and wild plants should be avoided, there are some snail species that bearded dragons should not eat.
The Achatina genus, which has a large number of species, includes giant African land snails.
These kinds of land snails are regularly consumed by wild bearded dragons, along with other invertebrates and plants.
As long as the snail you’re feeding your bearded dragon isn’t toxic or detrimental to them, it should be okay.
Are bearded dragons serious snail eaters?
In the wild, bearded dragons are opportunistic predators, meaning they will seize any chance to eat.
This implies that their food varies significantly according to their location and the time of year.
Maybe this explains why there are so many different suggestions on what to feed captive animals.
Wild bears are indifferent and unambitious hunters in the winter, regardless of how cold it is outdoors.
On the other hand, snails that move slowly sound like the ideal food.
Even so, snails aren’t uncommon but aren’t particularly widespread in central Australia, where bearded dragons are native.
That’s most likely the reason why this thorough examination into the diets of wild beardies came up empty regarding any proof of snail ingestion.
Snails in the garden: can bearded dragons eat them?
The short answer is yes; bearded dragons are able to eat garden snails.
Bearded dragons may be fed garden invertebrates in their backyards, such as huge African land snails, as a source of calcium and protein.
Garden snails can be consumed by bearded dragons if it’s okay with them to do so.
Of course, there are healthy options available that are as delicious.
It’s possible that your bearded dragon doesn’t like snails.
It’s unclear if bearded dragons stay away from snails because they seldom come across them or because they loathe them.
To help them move, snails secrete mucus from the bottom of their foot.
Before being cooked, snails grown for the French delicacy escargot (literally, “snails!”) undergo a horrifying process in which they crawl on dry grape vines or straw.
Bearded dragons may avoid eating snails because of their mucus, much as they avoid eating earthworms because they taste terrible.
If you try feeding them to your bearded dragon snails, you could find that they have a special affinity for snails.
Do bearded dragons have a problem with snails?
The slimy and unappealing water cone snail is the only kind of snail that is toxic.
Snails in your backyard may not hurt you, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe.
When wild snails absorb fertilizers or chemicals, your bearded dragon might be poisoned.
They could be harboring potentially lethal parasitic illnesses like lung worm.
Lungsworm is a parasite that mostly affects canines. Infection by lung worms in reptiles is little researched.
There is evidence to show that bearded dragons are not totally resistant to lungworm infection.
This is why some vets recommend that bearded dragon owners keep their pets away from garden snails.
Potential for imposition.
Bearded dragons often and fatally suffer from impaction.
When a bearded dragon consumes a food item that is too big for its digestive system, an impaction occurs.
A blockage may cause discomfort or numbness in the lower back or legs if it presses on the spinal cord.
The snail you give your bearded dragon should be no bigger than the space in between its eyes.
What can i do if my bearded dragon eats snails?
If your bearded dragon has consumed snails, there is no need for concern and no immediate action required on your part.
- Do not disregard the signals that they might stop responding.
- Sluggishness
- Their hind limbs are no longer functional.
- being unable to eat
- If you notice any of these signs, schedule a visit with your veterinarian.
- If your bearded dragon exhibits symptoms of stomach trouble after eating snails, such as diarrhea, stay away from them.
Can baby bearded dragon eat snails?
Baby bearded dragons frequently eat snails as food.
In order to stay nourished, bearded dragons in active growth need a number of live prey meals each week.
Bearded dragon owners advise using fruit flies, wax worms, and tiny crickets as food sources.
Snail eggs and hatchlings contain enough protein and other nutrients to keep them growing, but they also contain a lot of water relative to their size.
Due to their high water content, they can potentially induce gastrointestinal problems and obstructions.
On the other hand, these snacks ought to be safe for adult beardies to eat.
Will Your Bearded Dragon Like Snails?
Whether wild beardies avoid snails because they are rare or because they dislike them is unknown.
Mucus is secreted by snails from their foot to aid in sliding.
It’s fairly terrible stuff; before being cooked, snails raised for the well-known French dish escargot (literally, “snails!”) are made to crawl on dry straw or grape vines.
So, it’s probable that the mucus in snails deters bearded dragons from eating them too (for the same reason, they don’t care for earthworms too).
Yet, because each bearded dragon is unique, you might find that yours is particularly fond of snails if you try feeding yours securely.
Are Snails Bad For Bearded Dragons?
Even though they are slimy and unpleasant to eat, only aquatic cone snails are poisonous.
Sadly, this does not imply that snails from your backyard are always safe.
If wild snails consumed fertilizers or pesticides before they entered your beardie, they might be harmful to bearded dragons.
They may also be the carriers of harmful parasitic illnesses, such lung worm.
The parasite known as lungworm is more frequently found in dogs. In fact, little is known about reptile lung worm infection.
Yet given that lungworm can infect frogs, it’s possible that beardies aren’t entirely immune either.
And just for that reason, some veterinarians advise keeping backyard snails away from your bearded dragon.
Are Snails Good For A Bearded Dragon?
Having said that, if your beardie like them, snails can be a nourishing component of their diet.
Moreover, the calcium found in their shells can be useful.
So let’s now discuss how to safely feed snails to a bearded dragon.
Summary
Little snails that have been raised in a controlled setting can be eaten by bearded dragons without running the risk of eating pesticides or parasites.
These can be rather nasty, and bears are unlikely to eat them in the wild.
Your bearded dragon might decline the treat if this is the case!