Can Bearded Dragons Eat Grasshoppers? Safety and Risks
Wild bearded dragons eat grasshoppers constantly. They are one of the most natural things a Pogona could possibly be offered.
That fact leads a lot of owners straight to the worst version of this idea: catching one in the garden and dropping it in the tank.
- Do Bearded Dragons Eat Grasshoppers?
- Grasshoppers, Locusts, and Where You Live
- Nutrition Profile
- Why Wild-Caught Is Off the Table
- The Back Legs Problem
- How Often to Feed Them
- How to Feed Them Properly
- FAQ
Do Bearded Dragons Eat Grasshoppers?
Yes, readily. Grasshoppers and locusts are natural prey for wild bearded dragons across arid Australia, and captive dragons take them enthusiastically. The movement triggers a strong feeding response, which makes them useful for a dragon that has gone fussy.
Where they come from matters far more than whether your dragon will eat them. A commercially bred locust is one of the better feeders available. A grasshopper from your lawn is a genuine risk.
Grasshoppers, Locusts, and Where You Live
Locusts are grasshoppers. The word describes certain species when they enter a swarming phase, but for feeder purposes “locust” simply means the commercially bred grasshoppers sold in pet shops — usually migratory locusts or desert locusts.
Where you live determines whether you can buy them at all:
- UK and Europe — locusts are a standard feeder, sold in most reptile shops in sized tubs alongside crickets.
- United States — live locusts cannot legally be sold or shipped as feeder insects, because they are classified as a serious agricultural pest risk. US keepers use dubia roaches and crickets instead.
- Australia — availability varies by state, with its own agricultural restrictions.
If you are in the US and cannot find locusts anywhere, this is why. It is not a supply problem and importing them is not a workaround.
Nutrition Profile
Approximate as-fed values for commercially bred locusts. Figures vary with age and how the insects were gut loaded.
| Nutrient | Approx. value | What it means for a beardie |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | ~21% | Strong, comparable to dubia roaches |
| Fat | ~4–6% | Low, which is what you want in a regular feeder |
| Ca:P ratio | ~1:6 | Phosphorus heavy, like nearly every insect |
| Moisture | ~70% | Reasonable contribution |
| Chitin | Moderate | Less shell per gram than mealworms |
That protein-to-fat balance puts locusts in genuinely good company. Where they sit against every other feeder is covered in the live food list.
Like almost every feeder insect, the calcium ratio runs the wrong way, so locusts need dusting with calcium the same as crickets or dubia.
Why Wild-Caught Is Off the Table
The parasite route is the one people underestimate. A grasshopper does not look ill when it is carrying larval parasites, and there is no way to inspect for it. This is the single most common way keepers introduce internal parasites into an otherwise clean setup — see the parasites guide for what that looks like afterwards.
It applies regardless of how clean your garden is. You do not control what your neighbours spray, and grasshoppers travel.
The Back Legs Problem
Grasshoppers and locusts have large, powerful hind legs, and the tibia carries a row of stiff spines. Those spines are what let the insect grip and kick.
Inside a dragon they are less helpful. The hind legs are the hardest part of the insect to break down, and the spines can scratch the mouth or throat on the way down. For juveniles and smaller dragons, indigestible leg material is a contributor to impaction.
The fix is simple: pinch off the two large hind legs before feeding. It takes a second per insect and removes the problem entirely. Many keepers skip this for large adults taking small locusts, which is a reasonable judgement call, but for anything under a year old it is worth doing every time.
How Often to Feed Them
Locusts can be a regular feeder rather than a treat. The low fat and solid protein mean they hold up as part of the everyday rotation alongside dubia roaches and black soldier fly larvae.
Follow the normal insect schedule for your dragon’s age rather than treating locusts as a special case: several feeds daily for hatchlings, tapering to three or four times a week for adults. The feeding schedule guide has the breakdown, and the staple foods guide covers what belongs in the base rotation.
Variety still helps. A dragon fed only one insect for months tends to get fixed on it and refuse alternatives later.
How to Feed Them Properly
- Buy sized to your dragon. Nothing wider than the space between the eyes. Locusts are sold in size grades for exactly this reason.
- Gut load for 24 to 48 hours. Fresh greens, squash, and carrot. An insect straight from the tub delivers very little — see the gut loading guide.
- Remove the large hind legs before feeding, particularly for young dragons.
- Dust with calcium at most feedings for juveniles, two to three times a week for adults.
- Feed in a dish or by tongs and remove anything uneaten. Loose insects in the enclosure overnight are a nuisance and can nip a sleeping dragon.
FAQ
Can bearded dragons eat wild grasshoppers from the garden?
Are locusts good for bearded dragons?
Why can’t I buy locusts in the United States?
Should I remove the legs from grasshoppers?
Can baby bearded dragons eat locusts?
My dragon ate a wild grasshopper. What should I do?
The Bottom Line
Grasshoppers are natural, nutritious prey and commercially bred locusts are among the better feeders you can buy — if you live somewhere they are legally sold. Low fat, good protein, well accepted.
The rule that actually matters is source. Bred and gut loaded is excellent. Caught in the garden is how parasites and pesticides get into a healthy dragon. Remove the back legs, dust with calcium, and the rest is straightforward. The complete diet guide covers how insects fit against greens by age.
Sources & Further Reading
- VCA Animal Hospitals — Bearded Dragon Feeding
- Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians
- USDA APHIS — Plant Pest Import Regulations
This article is educational and is not a substitute for veterinary advice. If your bearded dragon stops eating or shows signs of illness, contact a qualified exotics vet.
