Can bearded dragons eat centipedes like those in your house?
No, bearded dragons can’t eat centipedes. Remember that some of these crawling critters carry deadly poisons that may harm the reptiles. Thus, it’s better to avoid feeding this creature to your beardie for their safety.
However, you may still wonder if allowing your beardie to consume a non-poisonous centipede could bring them some health benefits. You may also worry about what to do if your pet accidentally ate a poisonous crawly.
So, I looked for more information about centipedes and serving them as food for bearded dragons. I also searched about the benefits and risks the dragons may get from these critters. I then compiled these crucial details for your bearded dragons’ safety.
Can Bearded Dragons Eat Centipedes in Your Home?
It’s better to avoid feeding centipedes to bearded dragons as these critters may pose significant health risks to the reptiles. Remember that some centipedes are poisonous, and consuming these crawlers would cause a dragon to get sick or even die. Moreover, non-poisonous species may carry harmful chemicals and parasites on their body that could harm the reptile.
What Risks Can Bearded Dragons Get from Eating Centipedes?
Consuming these creepy crawlers may pose critical risks to beardies, like:
1. Parasitic Infection
Most household crawlers have gone through different parts of your home and have collected dozens of parasites on their bodies. Eating these critters will thus pass the parasites, like bacteria and viruses, to your scaly friend and cause infection. For example, the parasites may infect your beardy’s digestive tract and cause gastrointestinal problems.
2. Toxic Chemical Exposure
Aside from parasites, these critters may also gather harmful chemicals, like pesticides and cleaning agents, while crawling around your home. A dragon will thus ingest these chemicals when they consume a household centipede to experience chemical toxicity and consequent severe ailment and death.
3. Venom Sting
Remember that some species of these critters have deadly venoms that they use for hunting prey. While they usually shy away when disturbed, they might become aggressive when a dragon attacks them for a meal. And these venomous stings can cause organ failure and even death for the reptile.
4. Poison Consumption
The venom in some of these crawlers may also poison a reptile when consumed. It may not be as deadly as a venom sting, but it could still cause toxicity to beardies.
Moreover, remember that fully-grown centipedes are more poisonous than smaller crawlers. However, also consider your pet’s size. Smaller reptiles have higher risks of experiencing poisoning after eating these creatures, while adult beardies can resist an amount of the toxic substance.
What to do if a Centipede Harms a Bearded Dragon?
As mentioned above, these multi-legged creatures pose life-threatening risks to beardies. So, immediately take your pet to the vet if they encounter these poisonous critters, and don’t wait till symptoms show. Quick action can prevent the venom, poison, parasites, or chemicals from spreading in the reptile’s body.
However, your beardy may still encounter these creatures in your absence. It’s thus crucial to watch out for changes in your pet’s appearance and behaviors that may indicate poisoning or other ailments. Some examples are reddening of the eyes, skin discoloration, reduced appetite, and weakening of body movements.
Moreover, remember the crawly’s appearance, as the vet will ask for this detail when handling your dragon. You may also take pictures of the critter or search for photos online.
Can Centipedes Offer Nutritional Benefits to Bearded Dragons?
The multi-legged critters have poor nutrient content; thus, they won’t offer any health benefits to beardies. Notably, they have low protein and calcium content that can’t meet the dragons’ daily requirements.
Baby beardies require a lot of protein and calcium to grow, and adults need enough of these nutrients to supplement their plant meals. Calcium also maintains the reptiles’ bone health and prevents the onset of Metabolic Bone Disease.
It’s thus better to find other bugs that can meet your pet’s nutrient requirement without causing health risks. Some excellent food options are crickets, earthworms, and Dubia roaches. Also, avoid poisonous critters like bees and wasps.
How to Remove Centipedes from Your Home?
The best way to keep your beardy safe from centipedes is to remove these nasty critters from your home. Here’s how:
- Seal all cracks, gaps, and holes around your home to keep the multi-legged creatures from crawling in. It will also keep other common house pests away, like rats, mice, and cockroaches.
- Remove food sources that may attract the crawling critters. They are carnivores and love to consume other house pests like termites, ants, spiders, and bugs. So, eliminate these pests from your home to keep centipedes away.
- Clean your house thoroughly to eliminate ideal living spaces for these crawling creatures. Remove clutter in your home, including piled-up branches, dry leaves, and garbage in your yard. Moreover, clean clogged pipes and drainage as damp and dark areas may attract these pests.
- You may also use salt to deter centipedes from crawling into particular areas. For example, you may sprinkle salt around your dragon’s enclosure to keep the crawling critters from coming inside. However, make sure your pet won’t reach the salt as it’s toxic for them.
- Strong scents, like those from pandan leaves and citronella, are also excellent for deterring these pests. You only have to place them in areas away from your beardy as they may not like the smell. Avoid using mothballs for this purpose as these could poison your beardy.
You might be interested in Can Bearded Dragons Eat Slugs?
Summary
So, if you wonder, can bearded dragons eat centipedes?
No, they can’t, as these nasty creatures pose deadly risks for the reptile. They also have poor nutritional value that won’t bring any health benefit to your scaly friend.
It’s thus better to keep these critters away for your pet’s safety from poisoning and infection. You must also remember how to handle your beardy if they accidentally ate a crawling critter or were stung by one.
Immediately consult a vet if you think a centipede poisoned or stung your bearded dragon.
