What Do Lizards Eat
Many Children Ask, What do Lizards Eat?
If you are purchasing a pet lizard, make sure that you ask the question “what do lizards eat?” before bringing one home. There are actually many answers to the question “what do lizards eat?” and it depends on the size and type of lizard. Some lizards eat insects, some eat plants only, and others eat a combination of both insects and plants. Some of the larger lizards even eat small animals, fish and other lizards.
Let’s take a look at different species of lizards to answer the question: “What do lizards eat?” First of all, iguanas, the largest of all lizards eats plant leaves, flowers, fruit and insects. They are only one of several types of lizards who eat both meat and plants. Most lizards are carnivorous because their bodies are unable to break down plant material and digest it. For iguanas, it is a special bacteria in their digestive tract that is able to digest the plant. Because young iguanas are not born with this capability, scientists believe that iguanas acquire the ability to digest plants by eating the feces of other iguanas.
The Komodo Dragon, the scariest of all lizards is a carnivore. An adult is 8-10 feet long and will eat other reptiles including other Komodo Dragons, birds, the eggs of birds, all kinds of small mammals, monkeys, goats, wild boar, deer, horses and water buffalo. The lizard will eat humans, the last known attack killed an eight-year-old boy in 2007. Although they tear large prey into chucks, smaller creatures up to the size of goats are swallowed whole. They also eat carrion and can smell a dead animal for up to six miles. Baby Komodos eat insects, geckos, eggs and small mammals, such as rabbits. A Komodo Dragon will eat up to 80% of his own weight and then lie in the sun while his prey is digested. They have a very slow metabolism and only need to eat a dozen such large meals each year.
Almost the opposite of the Komodo Dragon are geckos--they are very small (2-5 inches) and they eat insects. They are one of the most popular pet lizards. Crickets are the favorite insect of Geckos, although if you are feeding one crickets, you should also feed the crickets first, because crickets bought at the pet store are not well-nourished . You can also feed your gecko crickets dusted with lizard vitamins.
Another of the easier to feed lizards is the Spiny-tailed Iguana. They are herbivores, although when they are babies it is best to feed them crickets, mealworms and pinky mice. As they grow into adulthood, switch them over to a diet that is primarily herbivorous. The best mix for adult Spiny-tailed Iguanas should consist of fruit, vegetables, and flowers, along with a standard commercial iguana diet.
Whatever kind of lizard you have or plan to get, always do enough research to answer the question: “What do lizards eat? before bringing one home as a pet.