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Lizards are one of the most adaptable members of the reptile family. You can find them on all continents except Antarctica and in a variety of habitats from forests to deserts. They range in size from giant Komodo dragons to tiny geckos that can fit in your hand. Over millions of years, lizards have developed many methods of hunting prey and avoiding predators. If you’ve ever owned a domesticated lizard, then you probably already know that most lizards eat a carnivorous diet. Given that lizards vary in size, it is understandable that they also eat a wide variety of prey. However, do you know the answer to the question “what do lizards eat?”
Today we will learn what food lizards prefer to eat, as well as how they hunt for food. In addition, we will discuss what lizards eat in the wild versus what domestic lizards eat. Finally, we will take time to study how the diet of young lizards differs from that of adult lizards. So, get ready to take a walk in the wild as we find out what the lizards eat.
What do lizards like to eat?
Contrary to popular belief, not all lizards eat carnivorous food. Although many lizards are classified as carnivores, an equally large percentage is carnivorous. This means that they predominantly eat insects and small invertebrates. However, a small percentage of lizards feed on herbivorous or omnivorous food. Given all these differences, it’s important to avoid generalizations when explaining what lizards love to eat. However, there are several general patterns in the diet of lizards. These foods often appear on food lists that lizards eat. Using these foods as a guide, we’ve narrowed down the list to 15 foods that most lizards like to eat.
The most common foods in a lizard’s diet include:
- Insects
- Invertebrates
- Eggs
- Small mammals
- Leaves
- Berries
- Herbs
- Fruits
- Birds
- A fish
- Rodents
- Vegetables
- Small amphibians
- Fruits
- Other reptiles
Due to size restrictions, most lizards eat animals smaller than them. However, some exceptionally large lizards eat larger prey, including medium to large mammals. In addition, many carnivorous and omnivorous lizards will eat carrion in the wild.
How do lizards hunt and forage?
The first lizards appeared over 300 million years ago. Over the next millennia, lizards developed many methods that helped them hunt and forage for food. Common adaptations include camouflage, venom, and long tongues for catching prey. Most lizards use a waiting tactic when hunting. Lizards who use this technique wait for their prey to get too close before attacking an unsuspecting prey. Some lizards, such as chameleons, remain completely motionless and then shoot out with a long sticky tongue to catch insects. Meanwhile, other lizards are taking a more proactive approach to hunting and foraging. These lizards will target hills of ants and termites or climb trees to reach birds or their eggs. Others ambush prey and inflict a venomous bite, then wait until their food is weakened by toxins before proceeding to kill.
Lizards use sight, touch, smell, and hearing to locate prey and food. Depending on their biology and habitat, some lizards rely on some senses rather than others. All lizards can detect pheromones using the vomeronasal organ, which helps them smell prey. Although lizards lack external ears, they do have eardrums, which they use to hear predators and prey. Some lizards, such as chameleons, can individually control their eyes to look in different directions. With this skill, they can even look forward and backward at the same time. Other lizards, such as the gecko, also rely on their keen eyesight to find tiny insects. Meanwhile, some skinks bury themselves in the ground and rely on smell and touch to locate prey.
What do lizards eat in the wild?
The food that lizards eat depends on their biology and habitat. In addition, lizards living in temperate climates adjust their diet depending on the season. Lizards are ectotherms, so they need external heat to keep warm. Lizards that live in climates with cold winters hibernate. During this time, their bodies use less energy, and they do not need as much food to survive.
Most domestic and smaller lizards are either insectivorous or omnivorous. Insectivorous lizards include several types of geckos and anoles. For example, domesticated geckos, African fat-tailed geckos and leopard geckos feed only on insects. On the other hand, crested geckos and day geckos also consume some fruits. Common insects consumed by insectivorous lizards include flies, crickets, grasshoppers, ants, termites, and moths. They will also eat invertebrates such as snails and slugs. Examples of omnivorous lizards include bearded dragons, blue-tongued skinks, and lizards with plates. These lizards eat a wide variety of plants and animals. In the wild, they will eat bird eggs, beetles, leaves, fruits, flowers, as well as some small rodents or even other lizards.
A smaller percentage of lizards eat exclusively carnivorous or, even less often, herbivorous food. Carnivorous lizards eat a wide variety of animals, including insects, shellfish, crabs, fish, frogs, rats, mice, and birds. Some large lizards, such as the Komodo dragons, target large mammals such as deer, water buffaloes, goats, and pigs. Other lizards, such as the collared lizard, specialized in eating other small lizards as the main part of their diet. On the other hand, herbivorous lizards do not eat meat and only consume plant matter. For example, the green iguana is a strict herbivore, although it eats some insects. In the wild, they consume flowers, plant shoots, fruits and leaves.
What do lizards eat?
Your lizard’s diet depends on its species. To make sure you are purchasing the right food for your lizard, check with your local pet store expert or veterinarian. For omnivorous, insectivorous, and carnivorous lizards, your local pet store probably sells specialized pouched feed mixes. These mixtures may contain a mixture of vegetables and insects, or only insects such as mealworms, crickets, or flies. However, some domestic lizards do not eat packaged foods and should only eat live prey or fresh plants. If you have a larger carnivorous lizard, you need to include more protein in its diet. You can do this with live or frozen rodents. Keep in mind that your pet lizard may not have the skills needed to deal with larger live prey. To ensure its safety, monitor its feeding to make sure that animals introduced into food will not harm it.
As for herbivorous domestic lizards, they feed well on a mixture of nutritious vegetables, fruits, leaves, and flowers. Safer options for your herbivorous lizard include:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Grape
- Melon
- Berries
- Pears
- Fig
- Dandelion
- Carrot
- Tomatoes
- Dark leafy greens
- Alfalfa
- Green pea
- To crush
As long as your pet lizard is eating foods from its family, it should be relatively healthy. However, keep in mind that certain foods can be toxic or harmful to your lizard, even if they are part of its food family. For example, some insects can harm your lizard, and some plants and fruits can reduce nutrient intake. Here are a few insects and plants to avoid feeding the lizard:
- Fireflies
- Scorpions
- Centipedes
- Mites
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Lettuce
- Chocolate
- Grains
- Avocado
- Garlic
- Onion
- Nuts
- Seeds
What do young lizards eat?
It is very important that baby lizards get plenty of nutrients to help them grow and develop. From the moment they hatch, baby lizards can eat almost the same as their parents. This means that a baby carnivorous lizard will eat only carnivorous food, and a baby herbivorous lizard will eat herbivorous food. In the wild, their diet is completely limited by what food they can catch and put in their mouth. Due to size restrictions, many baby lizards cannot eat small mammals, fish, amphibians, or larger mammals. As a result, they mostly target insects or eat plants if they are not carnivorous or insectivorous.
Before feeding a baby lizard, check with a professional to make sure you are providing the right food for your pet. Common prey are ants, crickets, grasshoppers, flies and spiders. Like adults, some species are better at handling live prey, so be sure to consult with a specialist. You can buy a variety of pellets and packaged lizard baby food from your local pet store. However, some domestic lizards are better at handling live prey. In general, insects such as fruit flies, crickets, and mealworms are excellent food for baby lizards. Meanwhile, healthy food for herbivorous lizard cubs includes fresh fruits and vegetables. Common foods include cucumbers, green beans, flowers, leafy greens, squash, celery, apples, pears, melons, and berries.
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