If you have a pet lizard, then it is crucial that you provide it with a healthy and well-balanced diet. For that, you must know the type of lizard you own. While you are in the pet store purchasing a lizard, they will tell you what kind of a lizard it is. The type of food the lizard eats also depends on the type of lizard. The lizard can be carnivorous, omnivorous, herbivorous, or insectivorous. Further, the lizard will need five to seven feeds per week.
Know your lizard
- Poison lizards: There are about 2700 species of lizard, and 2 of them (both from Mexico) are poisonous, namely Beaded Lizard and Gila Monster. While most of the monitor and iguanians families have venom producing glands, they do not pose much danger to humans as in the case of snakes.
- Versatile creatures: With an external ear opening and movable eyelids, these lizards are very versatile creatures. They can be as long as 3 meters. These lizards exist in various colors, sizes, and shapes.
- Chameleon lizard: These Lizards will change color in accordance with the environment or stress levels. There are special cells that lie in the layers underneath lizard’s transparent skin. The color pigment hence influences the color of the lizard.
Types of lizards and their diet
- Carnivorous lizards: They feed on store frozen rodents like mice. The lizard will begin by picking up on the frozen mice, and when it thaws, it will feed on it. Other things that you might include in your carnivorous lizard’s diet are crickets, fish, mealworms, silkworms, larvae, earthworms, and butterworms.
- Herbivorous lizard: This type of lizard will need plenty of variety in its diet. You must be able to provide all sorts of fruits and the nutrition it is usually exposed to in its natural habitat. Make sure that the food is free from pesticides and herbicides. Things that you might include in its diet are bean sprouts, corn kernels, fresh figs, apples, unsalted sunflower seeds, fresh pear pulp, pea pods, mulberry fruits, carrot root, leaves and a number of other varieties.
- Insectivorous lizard: In the natural habitat, an insectivorous lizard has access to a variety of prey. Nonetheless, you will need to match it and include various things in your lizard’s diet. You can feed the lizard with a well-balanced diet with flies, bees without a stinger, grasshopper, silkworm, moth, fruit flies, cockroaches, crickets, pillbugs, and sowbugs.
- Omnivorous lizard: Your omnivorous lizard can eat a wide range of food as compared to any other type of lizard, be it carnivorous, herbivorous, or insectivorous. They can have plant greens, small insects, and animals. It loves to eat flowers, vegetables, insects, and meat. The lizard is bound to prefer meat over greens (or vice versa in some cases). They might have a liking for one type of food more than the other. Whatever the preference is, keep in mind to give him a balanced diet in accordance with its preference.
In conclusion
The above-mentioned is a list of foods preferred by the lizards according to the breeds of the lizards. Make sure to serve the lizard 5-7 times a week. Serve it the variety of food it prefers, and maintain a well-balanced diet for it to keep it healthy.
