Want to adopt a lizard?
Find out how to feed it well on a daily basis.
What diet to follow? How often to feed him?
What foods to give him?
Herbivores, omnivores, insectivores or strict carnivores, we tell you all about the lizard’s diet.
how to Feed your herbivores lizards?
Nutritional requirements
To cover the intake and meet the energy needs of your herbivorous lizard, you will have to give it mainly to plants.
Its main meal should consist of leafy vegetables such as salad (romaine or curly lettuce, arugula, kale, watercress, curly chicory, lamb’s lettuce, etc.) or the tops of certain vegetables (carrot, celery, turnip, radish) and nutritious vegetables (carrot, celery, zucchini, squash, etc.).
Some fruits can also be given in small quantities: bananas, kiwis, figs, mango, papaya, red fruits, apples, pears, etc.
It is also recommended to add a very small portion of cereals and/or legumes to meet the needs in vegetable proteins: whole bread, cooked beans, legumes, seeds (quinoa, buckwheat, sesame …), rice, etc.
Opt for organic fruits and vegetables to limit pesticides and wash each given food well.
Do not hesitate to chop and mix your lizard’s food so that it cannot sort it.
Lizards are sometimes picky when it comes to tasting new foods.
Finally, even with a balanced diet, your lizard will need to be supplemented with minerals (calcium) and vitamins to avoid any deficiency.
Prohibited foods
Be careful, certain foods are prohibited and can cause digestive problems that are sometimes fatal for the lizard, such as intestinal obstruction.
Among these foods, we will remember:
- mixed seeds for birds: they contain a scale that reptiles cannot remove before eating them;
- spinach: they contain too much phosphorus and can interfere with the absorption of calcium;
- the sprouts are: broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and any other variety of cabbage are too difficult to digest for herbivorous lizards.
Frequency of meals
Count one meal per day for the young lizards, then one meal every two days once they reach adult size.
Herbivorous lizard species
Some species of vegetarian lizards: Uromastyx, Chuckawalla, Corucia Zebrata, Sauromalus, green iguana, etc.
Feeding my omnivorous lizard
Nutritional requirements
The diet of the omnivorous lizard is substantially the same as that of the herbivorous lizard for all the plant part.
The latter should represent about 60% of his diet.
The omnivorous lizard will therefore need an intake of meat foods.
Each species has its preferences, and again, from one lizard to another, not all will have the same tastes.
Be aware, however, that omnivorous lizards can consume insects (crickets, locusts, grasshoppers, mealworms, butterflies, etc.) or even mice.
If you can, do not hesitate to feed your lizard with live insects: the lizard is a fine hunter!
Again, your lizard will need food supplements specific to omnivorous lizards.
Meal frequencies
Since they consume more protein, adult omnivorous lizards can generally be satisfied with 2-3 meals per week.
It is also possible to provide them with vegetables every day and supplement once a week with a ration of animal proteins.
Obviously, it will be advisable to inquire beforehand with his breeder according to the species bred.
Omnivorous lizard species
Some species of omnivorous lizards: Argentine Teju, Dwarf Pogona, Bearded Dragon (Pogona), Water Dragon, Blue-tongued Skink, etc.
Feeding my insectivorous lizard
Nutritional requirements
An insectivorous lizard is aptly named since it must be fed exclusively on insects, but not just any!
We prefer crickets (of good quality, bought in a trusted pet store or well raised by you), small in size if possible (they are easier to hunt and eat by the lizard).
Occasionally, a few mealworms may also be offered.
Rather bold, they are to be reserved for special occasions.
However, we can vary and offer from time to time locusts, grasshoppers, flies or butterflies.
The canned insects are a good option to save time while providing quality food to his lizard.
Cooked directly in their box, these insects retain all their nutritional qualities.
This cooking also makes it possible to soften the exoskeleton of the insects, facilitating the ingestion than the digestion of the lizard.
Note that some insectivorous lizards can also be frugivorous and exceptionally consume a piece of soft fruit.
Finally, be sure to sprinkle the insects with calcium carbonate so that your reptile does not lack vitamin A.
Meal frequencies
Insectivorous lizards should be fed once a day.
Omnivorous lizard species
Some species of insectivorous lizards: Green Anole, Colonial Agama, many species of Chameleon, Gecko, etc.
Feeding my carnivorous lizard
Nutritional requirements
Carnivorous lizards consume almost only small mammals (mice, rats, mice, small birds) as well as eggs.
However, it is possible to vary their diet by giving them from time to time other sources of animal protein: steak, chicken, offal, cheese, insects, etc.
Be sure to choose small and already dead prey.
If you freeze your lizard’s prey, be sure to thaw it beforehand.
Thawing with hot water is particularly recommended because it is quick and allows you to serve lukewarm prey to your lizard.
Here again, your lizard will need a supplement in minerals and vitamins so as not to find itself deficient.
Meal frequencies
A carnivorous lizard will need to be fed 2 to 3 times a week, in order to control its weight gain.
Omnivorous lizard species
Some species of carnivorous lizards: the Savannah Monitor Lizard, the Spiny-tailed Monitor Lizard, the Timor-Lizard or the Curved-tailed Lizard.
Do lizard`s drink a lot of water?
The lizard is an animal that generally drinks very little.
However, its terrarium must contain a shallow basin or a small drinking trough which will have several functions: hydrate your lizard, humidify the air and allow it to bathe as needed.
Be sure to choose a shallow container to avoid any risk of drowning, and be sure to renew the water daily to limit the proliferation of bacteria.