What do Lizards eat? Where do they live? and much more

Lizards are reptiles of which no one is ignorant of their existence because many of us have seen them in abundance in various places. In this article we will focus on talking about their diet, their home and general characteristics of each of them in case you are not very knowledgeable about the subject.

what do lizards eat

What are lizards?

First of all we should start with the definition of lizards as such. They are reptiles of which there are various types of species, they belong to the Liolaemidae family, they are cold-blooded animals, so they are always in search of warmer environments.

General characteristics

In general terms, they usually measure between 4 – 6 cm, their tail is the extremity that has the largest size in their body, reaching 10 cm in length, females are smaller compared to males, colors also vary according to gender of the lizard

The males have a yellow color with greenish tones in the body, the base color of the female's body is gray with blue or green areas, the color tones are stronger and more prominent in the body of males compared to females. .

Depending on the species that it is, it will have its peculiarities such as the color or size of its body, a curious fact is that there can be enormous and very noticeable differences between lizards of the same species. Scientists have confirmed that the larger the lizard, the more chances it will have for a longer life. Lizards have the amazing quality of being able to detach their tail in case of being in danger with a predator and being able to regenerate it.

Habitat

Lizards are usually found in various places, they can be easily found in places with stones or rough, they can also be found in different urban or densely populated areas, they usually take refuge in cracks or small holes in the walls to take care of their predators.

Another place in which they live is the meadows and forests, they avoid to a greater extent the areas of very low temperatures, so they are not very common in various parts of Europe, some lizards are found in climates that are changing, in those cases they are They hide in their shelters with their food waiting for a warmer temperature.

Reproduction

The reproduction process begins in the first year of life of these reptiles in the case of what are not very large, the largest lizards usually awaken sexually between 2-3 years of age, the females are the ones who take the first step , they have glands that develop a particular aroma with which they attract the attention of the male, the males in the mating seasons are capable of moving great distances, especially if they catch the aroma of the females.

what do lizards eat

The mating seasons are between spring - summer, seasons that include the months of March and June, this is due to the warm weather, if necessary the males resort to violence using it among themselves to decide who stays with the female or In order to capture their attention, the dome of the lizards last a long time, being able to last more than an hour.

The male and the female do not form any type of bond after the sexual act, both take different paths, the male will return to the search for another female to mate again, instead the female will undertake a search for a place to lay her eggs.

The eggs are usually placed in places with vegetation, rocks or sand, the female, when placing them, leaves them in the place and ignores them, the eggs break after 3 months, the young can fend for themselves in what is It is about safety and food being self-sufficient from the beginning, the hatchlings consume the same food as an adult lizard, only the amounts of food that they can eat vary, being their portion much smaller than that of the adult.

Food

Lizards feed on various insects and arachnids that they can easily find on their paths or respective homes, the basis of their diet is composed of ants, beetles, flies, crickets, spiders, they also usually eat worms and snails, but their food is more Frequent are ants, insects must not be alive at the time of eating them, otherwise they will not eat them.

Lizards must hunt their food, which makes them predators, they are agile and active reptiles, so they take advantage of the hunting process to improve their performance in this activity and also control their weight, it can be noticed very easily when a The lizard exceeds its weight because its abdomen grows in such a way that when walking it ends up dragging it.

what do lizards eat

Feeding baby lizards

Contrary to what many tend to think, it is less complex than is believed, because since they are born they consume the same food as their species at adulthood and this is also because from the moment they are born they are self-sufficient by what they learn from the first moment to hunt, what usually varies in their daily diet is the amount of food consumed since they are very small and are in full development to be able to ingest a complete prey, so they eat little by little until they reach to his adulthood.

Types of Lizards

Depending on the type of lizard, its habitat and the particularity of insects it eats will vary, it will also depend on the needs of each one and the morphology of its body, there are 4000 species of lizard in the world, below, we will present the types of lizards main and most common, with this we will explain the physical characteristics, habitat and feeding of each one of them according to their environment.

common lizard

Also known as Iberian lizard, they usually measure between 4 – 6 cm, their skin consists of scales, their colors are commonly dark green, their back, neck and head stand out as they have red tones. The shape of its head resembles a triangle, its tail is 10 cm long and its teeth are pointed. Their diet is based mainly on ants, earthworms, spiders and flies.

Tropical House Gecko

This species of lizard can measure up to 14 cm without counting the length of the tail, it has huge eyes with which they can see at night, this species is nocturnal so its activities are usually at those times.

They are located in the American continent, they travel from north to south, from the United States to Argentina, but in reality the origin of this species is located in Africa, so it can be considered that it is their true home.

This species moves between walls, constructions and walls of urban areas, the development of its legs allow it with great ease. So the most available insects on their menu are usually flies, cockroaches, spiders and moths, normally the insects that are often found in the human environment.

what do lizards eat

Batueca Lizard

Both its body and its tail usually measure 6 cm, its skin is brown, but can vary becoming gray or green, the male's abdomen being much lighter in the breeding seasons. They are found in high latitudes in the mountains of Spain, their diet is based on spiders and ants, which has become the most common in terms of insects available for food.

Cinderella Lizard

It is a very small reptile in size, reaching 5 cm, in this particular case the females are a little larger than the males, various areas of its body have scaled skin, specifically on the sides and the back of its body, its color is gray, they have 4 light green or yellow stripes on their back.

They are found in rocky places, areas full of vegetation, thickets in general in very dry places which are found in the south of France and north of Africa.

In their environment, beetles, grasshoppers, bedbugs, spiders and various flying insects abound, which are usually the favorite food of females since they like to hunt the most compared to males who like to eat much smaller insects such as ants. .

Agile Lizard

They are located in central Europe and western Asia, in the central part and also in the north, their homes are usually established in sandy areas or in forests where they can get sunlight, in the winter season they stay underground until let the temperature rise.

Its firm and robust physique is remarkable, its colors range between gray and dark grayish brown, it has various green circles in different areas of its body. Their daily diet is based on cicadas, beetles and quite a few arachnids.

Red-tailed Lizard

Its size can be 23 cm in length, its eyes stand out as they are very large compared to the rest of its body. However, its greatest attraction is undoubtedly its fiery and intense red tail, a characteristic for which it is known. The ends of his body are well shaped as they contain a lot of strength.

They live in places where sand predominates and flora or vegetation is very little, which is why they are very common in North Africa. It feeds on a wide variety of insects such as moths and spiders, but it has also been observed how it has fed on small lizards or offspring of other species of lizards that are around it.

viviparous lizard

The size of this species is 12 cm, this is without counting the length of the tail which by itself measures between 15-20 cm, the extremities of its body are short and the shape of its head is very circular, the colors of this species can vary depending on the specimen, its colors range between gray, black and some shades of green.

They are located in central Europe, in mountain forests, they are surrounded by plants that protect them from sunlight and that contain enough water for their stay. They usually feed on flying insects, mealybugs and spiders.

Bocage lizard

Also known as Galician lizard, the average size of this species is 20 cm, the color of its body is grayish brown with greenish tones while its belly is pale yellow, the color of the back of its skin changes depending on the season or season of the year, its skin is composed of scales.

The large number of its population is in Spain, its habitat is made up of rough and rocky terrain with little vegetation. This lizard prefers to eat terrestrial insects such as beetles or arachnids, so they do not hunt flying insects or small insects, preferring to look for large prey, which can be a bit difficult for them because they are not as abundant as they would like.

what do lizards eat

night lizard

Characterized by an intense black color, it has yellow dots that are found in various parts of its body, which can measure up to 13 centimeters. A curious fact is that they have the ability to reproduce without the need to mate with a male. They are located from Panama to southern Mexico in tropical areas with rainy climates and can eat any type of insect they find around them.

Gecko Lizard

Both its body and its tail can measure from 7 to 14 cm long, its eyes stand out due to their large size and because they do not have eyelids, which are always kept wide open, the color of its body can vary in shades of brown reaching to be brown with various places that tend to be darker and lighter than others, it can move through areas being able to climb roofs without being able to fall, this is due to the shape of its legs which have 5 fingers.

It is found in the Iberian Peninsula and is usually found in areas populated by humans, so it is common among us to see it on walls, cracks and ruins, although it can also be seen on tree trunks or places where rocks predominate. . The insects they usually eat are ants, grasshoppers, crickets and flies, they will look for the largest ones, it is essential for them to be near a place that contains plenty of water.

green lizard

Also known as teyu. Its body alone can measure 13 cm and with its tail it is capable of reaching 40 centimeters, the males being able to measure this length since the females are smaller on average, their colors are more intense in males than in females. females. They can be found in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay and their diet is based on any type of insect they can find. They have lateral teeth and have 4 fingers.

As has been seen, all species of lizards have in common the type of food in general and the type of climate they usually seek, but as has also been observed, this is variable due to their habitat and its availability to offer food. to each one, so the type of insect consumed can vary by species, the factors that make the environment where it is suitable for it and how its physical dexterity makes it a better hunter depending on its species.

Do not leave without first reading the following articles:

What are insectivorous animals?

reptiles

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