Lizards are frequent residents in many backyards, particularly in warmer climates. They benefit from sunny walls, dry leaf litter, and abundant insect life, serving as natural pest control agents. Understanding their diet in the wild is the most effective way for homeowners to coexist with and support these reptiles.
The Natural Menu: Lizards as Insectivores
The vast majority of common backyard lizards, including species like anoles and smaller skinks, are insectivores, meaning their diet is based primarily on small invertebrates. These reptiles are opportunistic hunters that patrol vegetation, walls, and ground cover for prey. The variety of insects they consume helps naturally regulate pest populations in the immediate environment.
Their typical diet consists of small, soft-bodied invertebrates. They consume spiders, ants, flies, mosquitoes, small crickets, and various insect larvae. They also consume slugs, small worms, and tiny cockroaches, demonstrating adaptability to the local ecosystem. The protein and fat content from this diverse consumption provides the energy necessary for quick movements and thermoregulation.
Lizards locate prey using movement detection and chemical signals, often engaging in an ambush style of hunting. They wait for an insect to pass close by. Prey size is highly dependent on the lizard’s size, as they target items smaller than the width of their own head. This reliance on live, moving prey is a characteristic of their natural feeding behavior.
Diet Variations Among Common Species
While the core diet of most small backyard lizards is insect-based, not all species are strict insectivores. Some exhibit dietary flexibility, expanding their menu. Certain common species, such as omnivorous skinks and geckos, supplement their insect diet with plant-based items when the opportunity arises. This variation prevents direct competition for food sources and helps different species thrive in the same area.
Skinks are known to scavenge and may consume small amounts of plant matter like fallen berries or soft fruit found on the ground. Some gecko and anole species, particularly those in tropical or subtropical regions, seek out nectar or ripe fruit for the sugars they provide. This consumption is usually a minor part of their overall diet, but it offers supplemental carbohydrates and hydration.
Larger lizard species, though less common in residential areas, may occasionally exhibit predatory behavior toward smaller vertebrates, including smaller lizards. This behavior is predatory. This type of feeding is usually limited to situations where a larger reptile encounters a much smaller or weaker individual. These dietary exceptions highlight how resource availability and size factor into a lizard’s natural foraging strategy.
Practical Advice: Should You Feed Backyard Lizards?
Homeowners should avoid intentionally feeding wild backyard lizards, as these animals are highly capable of finding their own sustenance. Providing an artificial food source can lead to dependence on humans, negatively affecting their natural foraging instincts and ability to survive during human absence. The best approach is to manage the environment to encourage a healthy, natural food supply.
Introducing human foods into a lizard’s diet can be detrimental because processed items lack the nutritional balance of whole insects and can cause health issues. Items like bread, dairy, or processed meats contain ingredients the lizard digestive system is not designed to handle. If the lizard cannot distinguish the food from its packaging, consuming wrappers or foil can lead to severe illness.
A more beneficial strategy is to ensure the lizards have access to natural resources, particularly shelter and clean water. Placing a shallow dish of water in a protected spot, especially during dry periods, provides hydration without interfering with their diet. Creating a lizard-friendly habitat by incorporating rocks, logs, and leaf litter offers natural hiding spots and areas that attract insects. Homeowners must also avoid using chemical pesticides and insecticides. These products eliminate the lizard’s food source and can poison the lizards when they consume contaminated prey.