Can Bearded Dragons Eat Mice & What are the Risk?

Bearded dragons can eat mice, more specifically, pinkies. Some bearded dragons will eat mice readily and others are not interested.

This guide delves into mice as feeders for bearded dragons, the benefits, risks, freshly killed or frozen, zoonotic diseases and more.

Bearded Dragons Eat Mice: Guidelines

1. Life Stages of Mice

To clarify the names of the life stages of mice which will be useful in this article, here is the breakdown of the commonly used age categories:

• Pinkies (1 to 5 days old) 1-2 grams which are suitable to feed bearded dragons,
• Fuzzies (6 to 13 days old) 3-6 grams,
• Hoppers (14 to 20 days old), and
• Adults (21 days and older.

2. Can Bearded Dragons Eat Pinkies?

Bearded dragons can eat mice, specifically newborn mice known as pinkies, although there are better options for food.

3. How Often Can Bearded Dragons Eat Mice?

Bearded dragons can eat mice (pinkies) every 2-4 weeks (Raiti, 2012). Mice should be fed sparingly due to their high-fat content. Female bearded dragons may benefit the most from eating mice post-egg laying when they have much higher nutritional demands.

• Frequency: Occasional treats, 1 pinkie every 2-4 weeks
• Risks: Potential to introduce zoonotic diseases
• Alternatives: Range of arthropods (insects)

4. When Can Bearded Dragons Eat Mice?

Bearded dragons can eat mice (pinkies) when they are mature. Juvenile bearded dragons should not be fed mice.

5. Mice and Pinkies: Calcium & Fat Content

Pinkies are not a good source of calcium for bearded dragons since their skeletal structure has not calcified. A mouse pup is essentially 1.1:1 calcium to phosphorus ratio. Once their bones have developed as adults their ratio of calcium to phosphorus increases to 1.4:1 (bearded dragons require 2:1). Although some bearded dragons will eat mice that are grown, it is dangerous due to their size and fur.

6. Feeding Live or Frozen Mice to Bearded Dragons

Bearded dragons should only be eating mice that have been humanely killed first.

Frozen mice can be purchased from petshops and have hopefully gone through a humane kill process.

Some bearded dragons will not be interested in a dead mouse that isn’t moving. If it is necessary to offer a mouse then hold it in feeding tongs and wiggle it around to gain your bearded dragons interest.

6.1. Bearded Dragons Eating Live Mice

Bearded dragons eating live mice is an unnecessary cruelty to animals and it endangers the reptile (Redrobe, ND). Mice, like all creatures, will attempt to defend themselves and a bite can cause a lot of damage. If mice are to be fed, use humanely killed prey. Pinkies cannot fight back so the harm of feeding live pinkies is an ethical issue more than harm to the bearded dragon.

Animal Welfare Considerations for Mice as Feeders:

• Humanely kill rodents using moral approaches respected in veterinary practices.
• Feeding live prey should always be the last resort to prevent unnecessary stress and possible injury to both parties involved.

6.2. Safety First!

For safety reasons, do not:

• Defrost feeders with warm water or hairdryers as it can increase the risk of contamination to unintended surfaces (Reducing the Risks of Salmonella Infection from Reptiles, Gov.UK.).
• Use microwaves or containers used for human foods or prepare feeder rodents in areas where human food is prepared.

7. Storing Killed Mice

Frozen mice need to be used within six months and should be kept in heavy-duty plastic bags to slow down spoilage. Store frozen mice at -20°C (Nijboer, 2020).

Thaw the mice in a cool environment, at a temperature of below 8°C. Try to keep the moisture content of the mouse when thawing, don’t dry it out.

Salmonella does not die in freezing temperatures so any mouse infected with Salmonella will still have it once it comes out of the freezer (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2024; Reducing the Risks of Salmonella Infection from Reptiles, Gov.UK.). To prevent potential contamination with human foods keep frozen mice stored separately.

The Risks of Bearded Dragons Eating Mice

1. Health Issues Bearded Dragons are Exposed to by Eating Mice

While bearded dragons can eat mice, its not necessarily good for their health. However, diets high in red meat are often linked to gout which is prevalent among pet bearded dragons. Feed bearded dragons too many pinkie mice and you will also risk obesity—a common issue in captive reptiles.

2. Zoonotic Risks of Bearded Dragons Eating Mice

Mice used as feeders can carry health risks and potential for zoonotic diseases, posing health risks to both you and your household along with other pets you may have.

Some of the diseases that mice can transfer to your bearded dragon (or your family) are:

• Salmonellosis
• Campylobacteriosis
• Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV)

Salmonella has been directly associated with mice used as feeders in multiple countries:

• Salmonella outbreaks in humans have been associated with frozen rodents in the US (CDC 1).
• The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has also directly associated consistent outbreaks of salmonella since 2012 with feeder mice (ECDC).
• In the United Kingdom a study by Marin et al (2018) found that 28% of 295 mice intended for feeding reptiles (including pinkies, fuzzies, small, large and extra large) were positive for Salmonella.

Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV) has also caused great concern with an outbreak in the US in 2012 being directly associated with mice. The LCMV infection in the mice was put down to the poor conditions that they had to endure.

Over 301,000 mice from the infected facility were shipped to 543 pet stores, 11 breeders and 7 zoos/aquariums. Once the infection was detected by authorities, action was taken to eradicate the disease including putting down thousands of mice, not just those at the facility but all the additional mice that were infected as they intermingled with other stock in pet stores and other locations.

Unfortunately mice were not the only victims in the outbreak, other animals were also euthanized. This outbreak necessitated drastic sanitary actions as detailed in the CDC’s interim guidance.

WARNING: This video shows animal cruelty and can be distressing to watch. It raises concerns on the treatment and conditions of animals in the pet trade.

This video comes from PeTAs story on Pet Store Mice Prove Deadly by Michelle Kretzer 23-8-2012 where it was found that mice (along with hamsters and other unfortunate animals) were infected with Multistate Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus.

Bearded Dragons Eat Mice Conclusion

Female bearded dragons which have laid eggs may benefit from a mouse after laying, however there are other foods which may give better results. For other adult bearded dragons, feed pinkies in moderation.

While pinky mice offer protein, so do insects. Pinkies lack necessary calcium and can contribute to health issues like gout and obesity if fed excessively. An appropriate balance of insects and vegetation offers better long-term health outcomes for bearded dragons. Sometimes it is years before the damage becomes apparent.

Also consider you and your familys safety when feeding bearded dragon mice. Mice have been associated with zoonotic diseases time and time again. If they are to be fed, look for a clean reputable source.

Providing a wide range of foods in a bearded dragons diet is key to balance.

References

1. CDC. Multistate Outbreak of Human Salmonella I 4, [5],12 Infections Associated with Frozen Rodents (Final Update)
2. CDC. Update: Interim Guidance for Minimizing Risk for Human Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Infection Associated with Pet Rodents
3. “In May 2005, CDC received reports of illness in four solid-organ transplant recipients who were later determined to have been infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) from a common organ donor (1). Three of the four organ recipients died, 23–27 days after transplantation…”
4. ECDC. Multi-country outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis PT8 infection, MLVA type 2-10-8-5-2,associated with handling of feeder mice. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. 2016
5. Edison, L., Knust, B., Petersen, B., Gabel, J., Manning, C., Drenzek, C., Stroher, U., Rollin, P. E., Thoroughman, D., Nichol, S. T., and the Multistate LCMV Outbreak Working Group. (2014) Trace-Forward Investigation of Mice in Response to Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus Outbreak. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 20(2):291-295.
6. Marin, C., Martelli, F., Rabie, A., and Davies, R. (2018) Commercial Frozen Mice Used by Owners to Feed Reptiles are Highly Externally Contaminated with Salmonella Enteritidis PT8. Vol 18(9).
7. Nijboer, J. (2020) Nutrition in Reptiles – Management and Nutrition. (n.d.). MSD Veterinary Manual.
8. Raiti, P. (2012). Husbandry, Diseases, and Veterinary Care of the Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps). Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery, 22(3-4), 117–131.
9. Redrobe, S. BVetMed BSc MRCVS (ND) The Reptile Patient. Vet On-Line Priory Lodge Education
10. Reducing the risks of Salmonella infection from reptiles. (n.d.). GOV.UK.
11. ‌Salmonella, Feeder Rodents, and Pet Reptiles and Amphibians. (2024). U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
12. Stahl, S., and Donoghue, S. (2010) Nutrition of Reptiles. In: Hand MS, Thatcher CD, Remillard RL, et al, editors. Small Animal Clinical Nutrition. Topeka (KS): Mark Morris Institute pp 1237-1249