Quote Originally Posted by Jhill001 View Post
I do not believe that a bearded dragon will actively hunt mammalian prey in the wild. The way their body type is I don't see them ever coming into contact with a pinkie mouse (or whatever rodent type is in Australia.) I could be wrong but even though it probably HAS happened I don't feel its very common. I have only read about their captive care and not much about their wild habits but this is just what I see from a Beardie as a predator type. If anything I'd see them getting at baby birds in nests more than anything.

The insects and plants that they would eat in the wild would provide them with the necessary nutrients that they need.
I don't want to see a misunderstanding of care so let me state that a plant and insect only diet without calcium supplementation for bearded dragons, whether through vertebrate or calcium powder sources, results in conditions like metabolic bone disease. Do a quick search on bearded dragon diets in the wild, especially from Australian museums and zoos, and you'll see most believe occasional rodent and small lizards make up a small part of bearded dragon's diets in the wild. There's some good books that go more in depth. They are quite capable of catching smaller lizards or coming upon a rodent nest. Calcium is present in comparatively very small amounts in most invertebrates and ,in captivity, I would not recommend using the specialty "calcium rich" invertebrates like phoenix worms as the primary food source.

It is possible to raise healthy bearded dragons without any vertebrate supplementation in captivity using calcium powder. However, it is also beneficial, though not necessary if using calcium powder, to occasionally supplement with small rodents.