Do Bearded Dragons Eat Their Shed?

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Like many reptiles, bearded dragons also shed. Baby bearded dragons shed every 20 to 30 days. Juvenile bearded dragons shed every 4 to 6 weeks. On the other hand, adult bearded dragons shed almost every month. Shedding is a natural process. It is also a sign that your bearded dragon is healthy. If your bearded dragons are not shedding, then that’s a problem. Make sure to see the vet in this situation. But do bearded dragons eat their shed? Well, yes. Bearded dragons do eat their own shed. It’s part of their nature to eat their own shed. 

Do Bearded Dragons Shed?

Yes. Bearded dragons shed. Shedding is a natural process that every bearded dragon goes through. Further, both juvenile and adult bearded dragon shed. Juvenile bearded dragon shed in every 4 to 6 hours. Adult bearded dragons, on the other hand, shed almost every week. Just keep in mind that bearded dragons start shedding when they turn 4 months old.

Why Do Bearded Dragons Eat Their Shed?

Bearded dragons are native to the Australian desert. In the wild, they eat whatever insects and vegetables they get to stay alive. However, when we humans started keeping them as reptiles, we began thinking of unique ways to keep them happy. One day, we will consider letting them eat nectarines. Another day we think of giving them bananas.

But you see, apart from their natural diet, they don’t eat much of these unique fruits. Further, despite being really small, they know how to keep themselves safe. And part of the reason why bearded dragons eat their shed is because they want to keep themselves safe from predators. Let’s delve deeper into why bearded dragons eat their shed.

1. Consume More Nutrients

There are many nutrients, including keratin and vitamins in bearded dragons’ skin. They eat their skin to obtain essential nutrients. And if their skin is healthy and free from worms, then this is actually a really good source of nutrients for them. 

2. Get Extra Calcium

Bearded dragons need calcium more than any other nutrients. If they don’t have enough calcium in their diet, they can develop Metabolic Bone Diseases (MBD). In this disease, their bones become brittle. They face difficulty standing on their legs. They lie flat on the ground. But the good thing is that their skin has calcium. They supplement their diet with their skin.

3. Mask off From Predators

In the wild, to save themselves from the predators, bearded dragons eat their own shed. And since this is a hardwired behavior, they will still eat their shed while being  captive.   even though there are no predators, bearded dragons will still eat their shed because of their shouldn’t think that predators are finding them because of their shed, this hard-wired behavior persists.  They will still eat their shed.

Should You Encourage Your Bearded Dragon to Eat Their Shed?

Well, the answer to this question varies. If your bearded dragon enclosure is clean and it’s not sick during shedding, then encourage them to eat their own shed. Because what’s better than free nutrients for your bearded dragon? This is also cost-effective, especially if you’re on a budget but still want to keep your bearded dragons healthy. But at times, this can be risky.

You see if their enclosure is dirty, and their poop is everywhere, their skin will become contaminated. So, instead of trying to cut costs on your bearded dragon’s food, find cheap ways to keep your bearded dragon healthy. You can breed insects at home. Greens can be bought from framer’s market.  

In short, you don’t need to spend money on buying unnecessary things like hide spots. You can easily create hiding spots yourself. Learn more about these money-saving tips here.

Should You Be Worried if Your Bearded Dragon is Eating Its Own Shed?

No. You shouldn’t be concerned if your bearded dragon is eating its own shed. It’s natural for them to eat their own shed. However, if you notice your bearded dragon losing weight while still eating their shed, that’s a concern. Because this means that they are not receiving complete nutrients from their diet. That’s why to compensate for the deficiency, they are eating their shed.

In What Conditions Should You Stop Your Bearded Dragon from Eating Its Own Shed?

You should only stop your bearded dragon from eating its own skin when their enclosure is dirty, and you have put loose substrate in their enclosure. But why? Let’s delve into this in a bit more detail.

1. Dirty Enclosure

If a bearded dragon’s enclosure is dirty, it’s not a good idea to let them eat their own shed. Their shed can get dirty because of all their waste and parasites in the enclosure. And if they eat this contaminated shed, they can get really sick. So, make sure you clean their enclosure in case you want them to eat their shed.

2. Loose Substrate

Impaction happens when a bearded dragon’s gut or intestines are blocked. Because of this, a bearded dragon can’t digest their food. Further, bearded dragon can become impacted for a variety of reasons. And among these reasons, eating loose substrate is most common.

Further, if you put loose substrate in their enclosure, the chances of them eating some substrate along with their shed are high. And this can cause impaction.

How to Prevent Your Bearded Dragon from Eating Its Shed?

As mentioned before, it’s natural for your bearded dragon to eat their own shed. In fact, it’s a good thing that your bearded dragon is eating its shed. They get extra nutrients from their shed.

But if you still think that it’s unhealthy for them to consume their own skin, you can stop them from eating their own skin! And there are two methods of doing this.

1. Remove their Shed from the Enclosure

As soon as you found bearded dragon’s shed in the enclosure, promptly remove it. Don’t wait. In a matter of seconds, they can shed and eat their skin.

2. Give them Calcium

Bearded dragons eat their shed to fulfill their calcium deficiency. However, if their enclosure is dirty, they may become sick by ingesting their own skin. To address this problem, give them calcium-containing foods such as blackberries, papaya, mustard greens, and kale. You can also dust calcium powder on feeder insects.

3. Address Their Boredom

Undoubtedly, bearded dragons aren’t active. But they can easily become bored. And when they become bored then just as humans eat out of boredom, bearded dragons can eat their shed because there is nothing for them to do. That’s why it’s important for you to give them something to play. Balls, tunnels, reptile bridges, teaser wands can keep your bearded dragon busy. 

How to Check If Your Bearded Dragon is Eating Its Shed?

Well, this is simple. If your bearded dragon is not eating much throughout the day, even when you offer them their favorite treats, then they are definitely eating their shed. Moreover, if you spot your bearded dragon’s shed one time, but the next time you checked, it was gone then this also means that your bearded dragon is eating its shed.

Do All Bearded Dragons Eat Their Shed?

No. Not all bearded dragons eat their shed. Every bearded dragon is a different individual. Some eat their own shed, while others don’t. If your bearded dragon is eating in its own shed, then great! They will eat less. You don’t have to spend much on their food. Good for you! But if your bearded dragon is not eating its own shed, you shouldn’t be saddened. As an owner, we believe that you know reptiles can be expensive!