Q: What should I feed my bearded dragon?

A: To answer your question, I turned to my reptile and amphibian specialist colleague Dr. Paul M. Gibbons, who spoke on this topic at the recent Veterinary Meeting and Expo.

In his lecture notes, he says these popular omnivorous reptiles should eat a chopped salad five to seven days a week and invertebrates such as crickets, mealworms, black soldier fly larvae and dubia roaches three days a week.

He recommends giving enough chopped salad that your bearded dragon leaves a small amount uneaten each day. Offer mixed greens with some orange, red and yellow vegetables. Good greens and veggies to feed include kale, collards, turnip greens, bell peppers, bok choy, carrots, endive, mustard greens, red leaf lettuce and romaine.

Because of their oxalate levels, give parsley, spinach, Swiss chard and chives only occasionally, in small amounts. You can also give Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, parsnip, radish, watercress, winter squash, summer squash and berries. If you don't treat your lawn with herbicides or pesticides, you can offer such delicacies as dandelions, grape leaves and mulberry leaves and fruits, as well as edible flowers such as nasturtiums, pansies, marigolds and squash blossoms.

What else does your bearded dragon look for in a meal? "Many bearded dragons prefer to eat veggies that have dried out and become crispy," Gibbons writes. And, like most of us, they enjoy variety, so don't feed the same old thing day after day. Vary the invertebrates, too.

Insects you feed to your dragon should be well hydrated and fed a species-specific "gut-loading" diet to help balance nutrient deficiencies. Dust the insects with powdered calcium and a multivitamin supplement to provide important micronutrients.

Do you have a pet question? Send it to askpetconnection@gmail.com or visit Facebook.com/DrMartyBecker.