When autumn rolls around, many people think of apples and pumkins.
But what about the lesser known persimmon? They are a popular fruit that can be found in abundance during fall season.
Are bearded dragons able to eat them? Unfortunately they can’t eat persimmon fruit.
Indeed, it is too much of a vitamin A overload for beardies. The calcium:phosphorus ratio is also 1:2, which is not good.
What is a Persimmon?
A persimmon also known as Sharon fruit is a type of fruit that belongs to the genus “Diospyros”. Persimmons are native to Asia and are now grown worldwide, making them one of the most widely consumed fruits in the world.
The fruit looks like an apple, but with a softer texture. Furthermore, the skin color can turn from yellow to orange and then red before falling off entirely, making the fruit look like it’s bleeding.
Finally, persimmons are oval, with a hard and woody rind that is covered with soft and edible flesh. The fruit itself is about an inch long, and the edible flesh is about the same size. The color of the persimmon flesh can be yellow, orange, or red, and it has a very sweet and sour taste that is best eaten fresh.
Nutritional value
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 293 kJ (70 kcal)
Carbohydrates
18.59 g
Sugars 12.53 g
Dietary fiber 3.6 g
Fat
0.19 g
Protein
0.58 g
Vitamins
Vitamin A equiv.
beta-carotene
lutein zeaxanthin
(10%) 81 μg
(2%) 253 μg
834 μg
Thiamine (B1) (3%) 0.03 mg
Riboflavin (B2) (2%) 0.02 mg
Niacin (B3) (1%) 0.1 mg
Vitamin B6 (8%) 0.1 mg
Folate (B9) (2%) 8 μg
Choline (2%) 7.6 mg
Vitamin C (9%) 7.5 mg
Minerals
Calcium (1%) 8 mg
Iron (1%) 0.15 mg
Magnesium (3%) 9 mg
Manganese (17%) 0.355 mg
Phosphorus (2%) 17 mg
Potassium (3%) 161 mg
Sodium (0%) 1 mg
Zinc (1%) 0.11 mg
source: wikipedia
As you can see from the nutritional value of persimmon, it’s acidic properties coupled with high amount of phosphorus and fat makes it not good for your bearded dragon.
What fruits can not bearded dragons eat?
High Oxalate Foods
These foods aren’t otherwise poisonous and can be fed to your bearded dragon, but because they are higher in oxalates they should be fed very sparingly. Carrots, spinach, beets and beet greens, celery, kiwi, okra, parsley, radicchio, raspberries, yucca, chard and star fruit.
What fruits and vegetables are toxic to bearded dragons?
Avoid vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, and romaine as too much can be harmful, or they offer limited nutritional value. In fact, bearded dragons will also eat fruits like apples, strawberries, watermelon, and peaches. Aside from delicious fruits and vegetables, dragons will eat just about any insect that moves.
What is the healthiest fruit for bearded dragons?
The following list of insects, vegetables and fruits are good choices to include in your bearded dragon’s diet: Dubia roaches, earthworms, crickets and superworms.
Furthermore, the following fruits are good options to feed your bearded dragon:
• Apples.
• Bananas.
• Blueberries.
• Grapes.
• Strawberries.
• Watermelon.
Conclusion
As you have seen persimmons are high in fat and acid, therefore we do not recommend feeding your pet with them.
My name is Brad and I am the main editor of BeardieZilla.com.
The only goal of this site is quite simply to be able to help you. To help you by the means of my experiment, of the relation which I maintain with my bearded dragon as well as some of my knowledge about beardies.
I hope that you will find answers to some of your most pressing questions here.
Thank you for stopping by and enjoy the blog!
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