On the question; do lizards eat snails? So, many would ask; if they do really eat the lizards, do they eat them whole, maybe even their shell included? How do they digest that shell?
In summary: yes, lizards including oriental garden lizards, caiman lizards, alligator lizards, and fence lizard or blue belly will eat snails, insects, small crickets, caterpillars, fruits, and some greens – in small portions.
- But feed your lizards with smaller snails or snail hatchlings as they have fragile shells – they’re only as hard as roach shells.
In the wild, lizards such as geckos will feed on snails of various species plus other wild creatures like ants, grasshoppers, worms, flies, and crickets.
Details: What kind of Lizards Eat Snails?
Other lizards that’ll hunt and eat snails include the garter snake (Thamnobis sirtalis) and the box turtle (Terrapene carolina). Caiman lizards will easily crash the snails’ hell.
Therefore, if you’re rearing snakes and turtles as pets, you may supplement these reptiles’ food with small portions of snails.
- Also, the carnivorous Caiman Lizards will equally eat snails among other invertebrates such as freshwater clams, and crawfish.
- Since the caiman lizards mainly live around water, they’ll also feed on apple snails, mollusks, amphibians, and fish.
Caiman Lizards are termed as specialized feeders since they’ll crash the snail’s shell, spit it out and swallow that soft snail flesh.
- Its unique dentition and strong muscles allow the lizard to feed on hard-shelled invertebrates, mollusks, clams, and crawfish.
Do House Lizards Eat Snails?
For long, many homeowners wonder what house lizards feed on – but the answer isn’t simple. Some species like the Serpentes will eat tiny animals such as rats and mice.
- These house lizards will devour the small animals while other lizards species will also feed on larger prey such as birds and hares.
However, most house lizards mainly feed on vegetation while a smaller number eat insects, snails, worms, and spiders – they’re carnivores and omnivores as they’ll eat both animals and plants.
Do Baby Lizards Eat Snails?
Well, many homeowners think that baby lizards can’t feed on solid foods.
- Lizards are partly different from other reptiles, especially in their feeding habits.
But yes, baby lizards will eat snails, moths, mealworms, crickets, flies, beetles, dead ants, dead flies, fish, slugs, grasshoppers, aphids, and ants.
However, since baby lizards are tiny creatures, they’ll not feed on solid foods such as snails and insects in large portions or for an extended time.
How Does Lizard Catch their Prey?
Lizards will use their tongues to catch snails among other animals that are their prey.
- They’ll project their tongues, which are sticky and long to catch the snails.
The lizards’ tongue has some mucus pad that’ll adhere and stick to the snail or other prey.
Further, the lizard’s tongue comes with sensory cells that’ll sense predators, mating partners, and food. They’ll catch the snails with the protractor muscles that are very strong.
- Also, lizards will use a sit-and-wait method and other hunting methods by sitting on a location waiting for their prey such as snails.
What Will Lizards Drink?
But after eating snails, what will the liards drink. Maybe water? Well, Yes, Lizards will drink water – this is a behavior unlike other animals like snakes.
- Lizards could drink from some river or stream (the wild) but will largely avoid this because of various dangers.
However, lizards will drink water from various well-=drianed streams or rivers.
- Further, lizards could drink the water from some birdbath – this is a small water collection. But the stagnant water in these birdbaths should be cleaned regularly since they’re stagnant.
So, to know what lizards really drink, you’ll need to consider the environment these animals are living.
Will Backyard Lizards Bite Humans?
Backyard lizards will not regularly injure or bite humans. However, when provoked, lizards may injure or bite their imagined or outright attackers.
- Also, lizards may equally launch other defense methods but biting their attackers is one possible response.
- Most lizard bites are harmless and also non-poisonous to humans.
But some lizard bites such as from Gila monsters may be venomous, and cause sweating, weakness, pain, swelling, and discoloration
What May I feed the Lizard Pet in My Backyard?
If you’re worried about what to feed your pet lizards, here’s an exclusive list of the safe bites to sneak to these lovely animals in your backyard.
- Tiny invertebrates and live insects like cockroaches, ants, flies, crickets, and grasshoppers.
- The omnivorous lizards will feed on fruits and vegetables including leafy herbs, squashes, berries, sweet potatoes, peas, lettuce, pak choi, and cucumber.
- Caterpillars and worms
- Large lizards will eat snake eggs, baby snakes, small birds, mice, and other small-sized animals.
- Lizards will also eat commercial feeds that have various nutrients, calcium, and proteins
- Backyard pet lizards will also enjoy and benefit nutritionally from feeding on multivitamins like calcium and vitamin D3
- Some other lizards species could feed on animals and meat from crab, turkey, shrimp, chicken, and fish – all either in their minced, cut, or just chopped form.
Related: Are Blue Tailed Lizards Poisonous?
Conclusion
So, do lizards eat snails? Maybe the alligator? Or the caiman? Yes, lizards will eat snails – especially the hatchlings or the flesh snail parts after removing the lizard shell.
- The alligator lizard and Western fence lizard will eat snails and insects.
Other feeds that you may give your backyard lizards (which are herbivorous) include the water crest, pak choi, sweet potatoes, berries, lettuce – including other vegetables and fruits.
- Further, the herbivorous lizards could eat some herbs and backyard plants.
Therefore, if you have lizards in your backyard, you may notice some holes and bites in the garden plants.