What do Lizards eat?

There are varied types of lizards that are differentiated on the basis of their size ranging from small geckos to large kimono dragons. But what do lizards eat? Lizards binge on varied kinds of foods depending on the species, so, therefore, it is vital to know which species of lizard you own to determine what is good to provide them with proper nutrition.

A number of 3,500 species of lizards are seen on this planet. All of them vary in size, habitat, food they eat and much more. These lizards can be divided into four groups just like other animals.

#1. Herbivorous Lizards

This category of lizards includes iguanas, chuckwallas and others.  They are trained to feed on varied types of plant matter such as leaves, pollen, leaves and more. For that matter, many lizards found in the desert area are seen bingeing on a cactus. Also, apart from this, some tend to keep some lizards as pets. So, you must know that you can feed them with fruits as well such as apples, tofu, papaya, peaches, etc. Although these lizards call themselves herbivores, you can still see them munching on insects many times. Nonetheless, such frequent practice can cause them painful problems related to health and thus you should avoid motivating them.

#2. Insectivorous Lizards

These species binge on varied insects such as locusts, crickets and more.  They include the scariest of the lot such as chameleons, alligator lizards and many of the gecko species. There is also the existence of some species such as horned lizard and the thorny devil that are trained to binge on ants. So if you plan to own or already have one at home, then you can give them butter worms, locusts, grasshoppers and varied other insects which are small in size as their food for proper nutrition.

#3. Carnivorous Lizards

(Image Courtesy: Britannica)

These species are no less than hunters as they binge on a variety of animals and insects. Some of the well known and common lizards in this bracket include Komodo dragons, monitor lizards and more. Many times, they are mistaken as omnivorous. In confinement, they munch on mice, rats, chicken and others. And, in the wild, they tend to feed on other lizard species, animals, snakes, and other.  They also hold the strength to hunt down bigger animals. Also, note down that, when food is not much, they binge on carrion to prevent themselves from famishing.

#4. Omnivorous Lizards

(Image Courtesy: Monsters and Critics)

These species include whip-tails, knight anoles, race-runners , and other. The number of these species is more than herbivorous species residing in the world. Apart from that, there are also species which munch on insects and little animals but mostly on plants.  The best example of this in the world is Philippine Gray. When they are in wild, they binge on carrion, pollen, fruits, etc and when they are in captivity, you can make them eat rodents or varied fruits.

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(Featured Image Courtesy: Reference)