# Can Bearded Dragons live on Silk Worms alone?



## Chuckles (Jan 10, 2011)

(Posted recently but unable to find again)!!! 

Bearded Dragon has recently been impacted and think it was a combination of too many hoppers in one go and Calci sand. 

Constipation now cleared but can he live on just Silkworms and veg? We have been reasonably successful in raising silkworms (out of 500 eggs we have 100+ live one's ready to feed) and now raising a second batch. He seems to enjoy eating them but wondered if he could live on them alone as the hoppers came through him fairly undigested!?

I have also seen posts on here re Dubai roach but no way I could handle them or have them in the house at all !!!!


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## dickvansheepcake (Jul 8, 2009)

Beardies should never live on only one type of live food. They need as varied a diet as possible. Mine get dubia roaches, turkistan roaches, crickets, locusts, morio worms, meal worms and giant african land snail babies and eggs. So no, silk worms alone is not a suitable diet.

If foods going through undigested have you checked your temperatures in the viv?


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## woodrott (Sep 14, 2008)

dickvansheepcake said:


> Beardies should never live on only one type of live food. They need as varied a diet as possible. Mine get dubia roaches, turkistan roaches, crickets, locusts, morio worms, meal worms and giant african land snail babies and eggs. So no, silk worms alone is not a suitable diet.
> 
> If foods going through undigested have you checked your temperatures in the viv?


 
well your not exactly right on this one

silk worms are one of a very few groups of live food a dragon could live on

silk worms are the most balanced live foods you could get

the only reason no one feeds just silkworms is the cost

a dragon could eat £10 worth twice a day

that's £140 a week

but I'm sorry to say yes a dragon can live on just silkworms as the only live food source

look at it this way there's hundreds of new keepers just feeding crics and if not gut loaded properly there crap


sorry miss wippy:whip::whip::whip::whip:


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## Chuckles (Jan 10, 2011)

Trying to get a set up done for breeding silkworms, we have had reasonable success so fingers crossed - just waiting for ours to mature and turn into moths so they can breed and lay more eggs! 

Will try feeding him silkies alone and see how he gets on - today I took out three crickets from his viv that have been there a couple of weeks living on his veg and he wouldn't eat them at all! 

Have a couple of butterworms to give him as well as I hear they like these too! (Achilles gets more expensive food than I do, something wrong here!!!) :lol2:


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## woodrott (Sep 14, 2008)

Chuckles said:


> Trying to get a set up done for breeding silkworms, we have had reasonable success so fingers crossed - just waiting for ours to mature and turn into moths so they can breed and lay more eggs!
> 
> Will try feeding him silkies alone and see how he gets on - today I took out three crickets from his viv that have been there a couple of weeks living on his veg and he wouldn't eat them at all!
> 
> Have a couple of butterworms to give him as well as I hear they like these too! (Achilles gets more expensive food than I do, something wrong here!!!) :lol2:


as miss wippy said its best to feed at least 4 different live foods aday
but you will be able to feed just silk worms

its not something i would recommend unless you really understand nutrition
just use them as a staple but mix in some other different live food groups


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## dickvansheepcake (Jul 8, 2009)

I'm happy to be corrected  I've no experience with silk worms myself but I was under the impression that variety is always best. I didn't think there was a live food that was suitable as the only live feeder.

I prefer to give variety anyway, I don't think I'd feel comfortable only feeding mine on one type food!


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## woodrott (Sep 14, 2008)

dickvansheepcake said:


> I'm happy to be corrected  I've no experience with silk worms myself but I was under the impression that variety is always best. I didn't think there was a live food that was suitable as the only live feeder.
> 
> I prefer to give variety anyway, I don't think I'd feel comfortable only feeding mine on one type food!


 

99.9% of the time you would be right and i would say the same
but silkworms are the exception in my opinion


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## wildenglishrose (Oct 6, 2010)

dickvansheepcake said:


> Beardies should never live on only one type of live food. They need as varied a diet as possible. Mine get dubia roaches, turkistan roaches, crickets, locusts, morio worms, meal worms and giant african land snail babies and eggs. So no, silk worms alone is not a suitable diet.
> 
> If foods going through undigested have you checked your temperatures in the viv?


What eggs do you feed yours? I'm always looking for new foods for a change.


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## Prestige-Dragons (May 4, 2009)

*silkworms*

i would say feed as a treat as very fatty and not a good diet if its a underweight dragon or a female thats just layed but again its one of those things where no one agrees on so try it if ur dragons r happy then good for u but if start getting over weight then stop but would u like eating the same food over and over again


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## woodrott (Sep 14, 2008)

Prestige-Dragons said:


> i would say feed as a treat as very fatty and not a good diet if its a underweight dragon or a female thats just layed but again its one of those things where no one agrees on so try it if ur dragons r happy then good for u but if start getting over weight then stop but would u like eating the same food over and over again


silk worms are in the top 3 most balanced live food you can get

the fat , calcium , protean, balance is as good as it gets

as i stated before its best to feed at least 4 different live foods a day

but silk worms could be fed as an only live food,,but not recommended


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## Prestige-Dragons (May 4, 2009)

*silkworms*

yes im dumb :censor:was thinking of wax worms


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## dickvansheepcake (Jul 8, 2009)

wildenglishrose said:


> What eggs do you feed yours? I'm always looking for new foods for a change.


I give them giant african land snail eggs if I have too many at once


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