Does my bearded dragon need D3 if it gets natural sunlight daily?

Natural sunlight can be substituted for artificial UV light as long as the light is not filtered. If the light has to travel through glass, or a mesh covering, then it will not allow UV light through and an artificial source will need to be substituted. If the sunlight is completely unobstructed, then you can subtract the amount of time that sunlight is available from the 10- 12 hours and have an artificial UV source for the rest of the time. The UV light will be limited, or nonexistent in the shade, but it's expected that he will not spend the entire day basking in UV light, so it's OK if he spends some time in the shade. Make sure that there is a good area of unobstructed light in the enclosure and he should get the necessary amount of UV rays. I hope that helps and all is well with Loki.

The ReptiSun 10.0 bulb by Zoo Med is widely recommended. It should not be obstructed by either glass or plexiglass or be more than 18 inches away from the basking area. If you can't get one just yet, natural unfiltered sunlight can be provided daily if you can do it safely and without risk of escape.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! There is really no need to do that. If she is being fed a high quality diet, all these vitamins are part of it and do not need to be supplemented. You can consider a multivitamin which would never hurt though in most cases it is not necessary. Good luck and have a great day!

Thanks for reaching out about Carmine. Not sure what type of food you are searching for, a powder to top-coat insects. A variety of insects can be offered, and gut loaded. Vitamin D3 can be over supplemented so powdered should only be used once weekly. Exposure to ultraviolet B radiation is very important for the absorption of calcium in the intestinal tract. Catch insects outdoors, as long as your not spraying. Good luck.

Good questions. Since Bearded Dragons are omnivores, you want limit the amount of crickets (and other insects) you feed them, so they are motivated to eat the veggies. You can do this by having a daily feed time. It's not easy to know exactly how many to feed at a certain time, because it depends on their size. I would start with 12. If this seems like too much (he doesn't eat them within a day), then cut back till it seems adequate. Remember, you want a few hours where he only has vegetables to eat. If he/she eats them all right away, then you can add some more. You want the UV lamp to mimic daylight, so it should not be on longer than 12 hours. I always used a timer with my lamps, or I'd invariably leave them on or off for too long. I've included a link to a very helpful website that has great information on how to care for Bearded Dragons. It's highly recommended you read this for the best care of your Beardy. http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html Good luck and enjoy - they make great pets!

Yes, a 10-12 hour photoperiod would be recommended. Keeping lights on in the enclosure 24/7 will result in a stressed beardie. You can use a light timer to set an on/off cycle easily. You can review dragon care at the link below. http://www.anapsid.org/bearded.html

The fact that you are asking the question demonstrates that you are not being neglectful, so no judgement here. Temperatures exceeding 100F can be dangerous for them, but it definitely depends of Loki's ability to hide in cool areas. If the enclosure allows for good airflow and the hiding places are cool (usually need to be somewhat underground and covered very well, then it would be fine to keep him in the outside enclosure. I would put a thermometer in the hiding places to see if the temp gets below 100F during these really hot days. If they don't get cool enough, then you may consider designing some cooler places to hide, or keeping him inside during the day when temps are above 100. I hope that helps and all is well with Loki.