Bearded dragons tend to eat almost everything they can fit into their mouth. However, selecting the food you feed them is crucial since eating the wrong stuff can get them sick. As such, feeding bearded dragons nutritious and healthy foods in the right proportion should be a priority for every bearded dragon owner. On the other hand, blackberries are popular fruits that are widely consumed by millions of people worldwide. They are easy to grow and are always readily available in grocery stores. Subsequently, one might wonder if bearded dragons can eat blackberries too. Or if these fruits should be taken far away from them? Let’s find out.
What Are Blackberries?
Blackberries are edible fruits from the Rubus genus and the Rosaceae family. They grow primarily in temperate regions and are abundant in North America and most of Europe. Historically, the blackberry plant has been utilized for many things, including creating dye fabrics, ropes, and barriers around buildings. On another note, the blackberry plant is also widely regarded as a weed since the plant tends to rigorously grow if left unchecked.
Blackberries are popular today due to their nutritional composition and usage in preparing various foods. Blackberries can be used in desserts, jams, jellies, juice, wines, and much more. These fruits can also be mixed with other popular berries to create palatable pies and crumbles. The berries and leaves are also a prevalent food source for a couple of wild animals, including caterpillars, deer, bears, and badgers.
The Nutritional Composition Of Blackberries
| Name | Blackberries’ Quantity |
| Energy | 43 kilocalories |
| Water | 88.2 grams |
| Protein | 1.39 grams |
| Fat | 0.49 gram |
| Carbohydrate | 9.61 grams |
| Fiber | 5.3 grams |
| Sugars | 4.88 grams |
| Calcium | 29 milligrams |
| Magnesium | 20 milligrams |
| Phosphorus | 22 milligrams |
| Potassium | 162 milligrams |
| Sodium | 1 milligram |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.03 milligram |
| Vitamin C | 21 milligrams |
| Vitamin E | 1.17 milligrams |
| Vitamin A | 11 micrograms |
| Vitamin K | 19.8 micrograms |
NOTE: This Table Includes Only The Most Relevant Information.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Blackberries?
Most bearded dragons enjoy eating blackberries, so feel free to add blackberries to your bearded dragon’s diet list as soon as possible. However, blackberries do not contain the necessary nutrients to be a significant part of a bearded dragon’s diet. As such, ensure you feed this fruit to your bearded dragon only as a treat or as a small part of a larger meal.
Also, just because you’ve confirmed that you can feed blackberries to bearded dragons doesn’t mean you should start feeding them large quantities of this fruit as soon as possible. It’s best to incorporate new foods into bearded dragons’ diets by feeding them the food in tiny amounts. Doing this ensures they gradually get used to the taste of the new food first before you make it a staple part of their diet.
Health Benefits Of Blackberries For Bearded Dragons
Blackberries are packed with nutrients that help bearded dragons grow strong and healthy. So feeding your bearded dragon some blackberries have a lot of advantages.
Here are a couple of reasons why you should feed your bearded dragon some blackberries.
Calcium To Phosphorus Ratio
A food’s calcium and phosphorus content are significant factors you should consider before adding the food to your bearded dragon’s diet.
The adequate calcium and phosphorus ratio for foods you should feed your bearded dragons is 2:1 or 1:1. Feeding bearded dragons foods that don’t fall within this range is disastrous. That’s because they might be unable to absorb the calcium in their meals. After all, phosphorus tends to bind calcium if they are significantly more or of the same amount as calcium in the food. This could lead to illness and diseases in the long run. Luckily, blackberries’ calcium-to-phosphorus ratio is 1:3:1, which is within the acceptable range.
Water
Blackberries contain a lot of water which could help bearded dragons or hurt them down the road depending on the number of blackberries they eat. As such, feeding a bearded dragon too many blackberries can cause diarrhea, while eating a little bit will help with dehydration and digestion of food. This is one of the primary reasons you should feed blackberries to bearded dragons as a treat rather than as a meal.
Vitamins And Minerals
Blackberries are also chock full of vitamins and minerals that are necessary for the growth and development of bearded dragons. For example, blackberries contain a substantial amount of vitamins A, C, and K, which helps bearded dragons with good vision and organ regulation.
On the other hand, blackberries also contain a substantial amount of minerals like manganese and zinc, which are necessary for a bearded dragon’s metabolism and immune system.
Antioxidants
Blackberries also contain a substantial amount of antioxidants that help prevent cell oxidation and fight off the effects of free radicals.
Health Risks Of Blackberries For Bearded Dragons
Just because blackberries can be fed to bearded dragons doesn’t mean there aren’t some health risks involved. That’s why you always need to feed bearded dragons some blackberries in small quantities so they can always derive the health benefits of the fruit while mitigating the risks.
Essentially, these are why you should always feed bearded dragons some blackberries as a treat or as a small portion of their meal.
Sugar
Blackberries taste really sweet, and that’s because of the amount of sugar in the fruit. On the other hand, bearded dragons require little sugar in their meals since too much sugar can cause obesity, diarrhea, heart failure, blood pressure issues, and much more.
Oxalates
Blackberries also contain a substantial amount of oxalates, a natural substance that some plants have. Oxalates are used by plants against predators and also to regulate their mineral content. Additionally, feeding bearded dragons foods with too many oxalates can be disastrous since oxalates tend to rid the body of excess calcium. As such, consuming foods with too many oxalates will make it difficult for bearded dragons to absorb calcium which in the long run will lead to health issues like metabolic bone disease. And trust us; you don’t want your bearded dragon to suffer from metabolic bone disease. That’s why you always need to ensure you feed your bearded dragon the healthiest foods in the proper proportions.
What Parts Of Blackberries Can Bearded Dragons Eat?
Now that we know bearded dragons can eat the flesh of blackberries, it’s important to know if we can feed other parts of the blackberry plant to bearded dragons, too, to ensure we have a wider variety of foods to choose from.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Blackberry Seeds?
Each blackberry fruit contains a couple of seeds that are embedded deep within. These seeds are edible but are not frequently eaten by humans. However, the seeds contain a fair amount of fiber, protein, carotenoids, and other beneficial nutrients to bearded dragons. At the same time, the seeds are also rich in omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid) and omega-6 (linoleic acid). Nevertheless, bearded dragons should not be fed blackberry seeds despite their nutritional benefits. Bearded dragons can’t digest seeds, so there’s always the risk of impaction whenever they eat a couple.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Blackberry Leaves?
You’re free to feed some blackberry leaves to your bearded dragons every once in a while. However, it’s important to note that blackberry leaves should be fed to bearded dragons only as a treat since they are nutritionally inadequate and contain a significant amount of oxalates.
In essence, the blackberry fruit is a healthier option for bearded dragons if you’re to pick either of the two. Blackberry leaves also tend to be ridden with parasites and pesticides since they can quickly get stuck to the leaves directly. That’s why you should always wash the leaves first if you decide to feed even a little bit of them to a bearded dragon.
How To Pick The Best Blackberries For Your Bearded Dragon
As you know by now, feeding bearded dragons the right stuff is paramount to their growth and well-being. So you must also ensure you pick only the ripe blackberries to feed them since these fruits have more nutrients than unripe ones. It would be best to feed your bearded dragon only homegrown or organic blackberries too.
Non-organic blackberries contain more prominent amounts of pesticides, antibiotics, and chemicals that may harm your bearded dragon. So, ensure you confirm directly from whomever you’re getting the fruits from if they were organically grown. You can also grow your blackberries if you can. At least this way, you’ll be sure they are 100% organic and not tampered with.
Never feed your bearded dragon some wild blackberries if you come across them. Wild blackberries may look more natural, but it’s best not to feed them to bearded dragons since you never know what they might have absorbed while growing.
Nevertheless, ensure you always pick the deeply colored glossy berries when you want to feed your bearded dragons. The blackberries you choose should not be crushed and should be free of marks, molds, blemishes, and holes.
How To Prepare Blackberries For Bearded Dragons
The first thing you should do when you select the blackberries you want to feed your bearded dragon is to wash them first. Doing this, irrespective of whether you grew the blackberries yourself or bought them ensures there’s no dirt on the fruit.
Make sure you also get the blackberries thawed if they are frozen. The temperature of the blackberries you feed your bearded dragon should neither be hot nor cold. Getting the blackberries at room temperature is perfect.
It would be best if you took out the seeds from the blackberries next.
You can also cut the fruits into smaller pieces if you want. However, ensure you always do if your bearded dragon is young or juvenile. Doing this makes it easier for them to eat and swallow the fruits.
Next, you can feed your bearded dragon the fruits as part of a meal or as a small treat.
Remember to take the remnants of the blackberries and any other food out of your bearded dragon’s enclosure once your bearded dragon is done eating.
How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Blackberries?
It would be best to feed your bearded dragon some blackberries only once or twice a month. Ensure you also feed them little quantities of the fruit if you decide on doing so. It’s best to serve blackberries as salad toppers or as a small portion of a meal you’re feeding your bearded dragon. In essence, it’s always best to feed them some blackberries along with other nutritious foods to ensure they get a well-balanced, well-rounded diet.
How To Store Blackberries
You should know how to store blackberries the right way so you always have some extra when you want to feed your bearded dragon subsequently. Blackberries are very perishable and need to be eaten or preserved within three to six days after being harvested. So learning how to store them is very important if you don’t want them to get rotten.
Storing them is simple, especially since you have two easy options to choose from.
How To Store Blackberries In A Refrigerator
All you have to do is to place the blackberries in a shallow container in your refrigerator. Ensure you also cover the container with a paper towel or plastic wrap with holes because of ventilation.
How To Store Blackberries In A Freezer
- You also have the option of freezing the blackberries if you want to. All you have to do is to follow the steps below.
- Rinse and let the blackberries dry off
- Spread the blackberries on a cookie sheet
- Place the cookie sheet with the blackberries in a freezer.
- Wait until the blackberries get completely frozen.
- Transfer the blackberries to a zip-lock bag and place them back in the freezer.
Conclusion
Blackberries are edible fruits that you should add to your bearded dragon’s diet list as soon as possible. Nevertheless, blackberries are not the healthiest foods for bearded dragons, so ensure you feed them these fruits as a treat or as a small part of their diet. Your bearded dragon will be fine if they don’t eat blackberries often.
Resources And Further Reading
Blackberries, Raw. Agricultural Research Service. U.S. Department Of Agriculture.
Chemical Composition Of Caneberry (Rubus Spp.) Seeds And Oils And Their Antioxidant Potential. National Library Of Medicine.
Reptile Medicine And Surgery In Clinical Practice. Wiley Online Library.
The Blackberry Fruit: A Review On Its Composition And Chemistry, Metabolism And Bioavailability, And Health Benefits. ACS Publications.
Wind Speed Affects Pollination Success In Blackberries. ResearchGate.
