Content
- Types of lizards
- Toothed gecko
- Iberian wild lizard
- night gecko
- black lizard
- How to care for a gecko?
- What does gecko eat?
- How does the gecko feed?
- What does baby gecko eat?
the lizards are elusive animals, agile and very common anywhere in the world. Despite their small size and how helpless they may appear, the truth is that they are excellent hunters, but they are also prey to many animals, such as cats and birds.
Have you ever wondered what lizard eats? You will definitely be surprised! Discover some types of geckos and what they feed on in this PeritoAnimal article. We'll also talk about its main features and more. Good reading.
Types of lizards
Before you know what geckos eat, the first thing you need to know is that there are different species of geckos. And they are classified according to their characteristics, such as size, color or place where they live. Do you want to meet some of the types most common of geckos? Check it out below:
Toothed gecko
The toothed-toed gecko or also called the red-tailed gecko (Acanthodactylus erythrurus) is a lizard that measures between 20 and 25 centimeters in length. As its other name suggests, it is characterized by its deep red tail, the rest of the body, on the other hand, is brown with white lines. This type of gecko lives in sandy soils with little vegetation.
Iberian wild lizard
The Iberian wild lizard (Psammodromus hispanicus) is very small, reaching only 5cm long. However, females can be a little bigger. They are also characterized by having a flat, pointed head.
The body of the Iberian wild lizard is covered in gray scales with yellow stripes on the back. This species prefers to inhabit low bushes, grassy areas and rocky places.
night gecko
The night gecko (Lepidophyma flavimaculatum) is a copy that achieves up to 13 centimeters long. It is mainly characterized by its black body accompanied by yellow spots that are distributed from its head to the tip of its tail.
A curious fact of this species is that females have the ability to reproduce without being fertilized by a male, thus perpetuating the species in adverse conditions. This reproductive ability is known as parthenogenesis.
black lizard
The black lizard (Tropidurus torquatus) is a type of calango that is common in practically all of Brazil, mainly in the caatinga areas and dry environments. It is a cold-blooded animal and has scales on the back of its face, as if forming a dark collar. In this species, the male is larger than the female. The black lizard also has spots on the ventral surface of the thighs and on the pre-vent flap.
Now that you've met some types of geckos, you might be interested in this other article where we explain whether geckos have poison.
How to care for a gecko?
Now, if you have a gecko as a pet, you should give it care and attention so that it feels comfortable and stays healthy. The first thing you should take into account is that geckos are very small animals, which makes them very delicate beings. To have it at home, we recommend that you adopt a lizard in a suitable center, as if you take it directly from nature, it can die in a few days, as it does not adapt easily to changes.
Once you have your little lizard, you need to provide it with a good place to live. you can build a big enough terrarium so he feels comfortable and can move easily. Purchase a large aquarium or pond and add branches, rocks, earth and water to mimic its natural habitat.
When the terrarium is ready, remember to put it near a window so it receives natural light and shade.
If you want to have the lizard free, you can also let it in your house's garden so that it can develop independently and find food on its own. However, keep in mind that this poses a risk of flight or another animal attacking it, as snakes and birds eat lizards and are considered their main predators.
In this other article we explain how to scare away geckos and then we will explain what geckos eat.
What does gecko eat?
Now that you know the basic care you should take with your gecko, it's time to know what the geckos eat and how they feed when they are free.
First, the feeding of the geckos depends on your size and the ability to hunt prey. In this sense, lizards are insectivorous, so feed essentially on insects, and the following is a complete list of the main insects that the gecko eats:
- flies
- Wasps
- spiders
- crickets
- termites
- Ants
- Cockroaches
- Locusts
- beetles
No doubt, ants are the favorite food of the geckos. Likewise, they can also eat earthworms and sometimes snails. As you can see, these animals are found in any garden and even in some houses and apartments, which is why it is so common to find them lurking in corners and alleys.
As you saw, many people wonder if gecko eats cheap or if a gecko eats a spider and the answer is yes, it is quite common to see it feeding on these insects.
It's also important to note that geckos don't feed on dead insects, so if you plan on having one as a pet, you should provide live food now that you know what gecko eats.
How does the gecko feed?
As we mentioned in the previous section, geckos feed on other live animals, so if you live with one it is not recommended to offer dead food. On the other hand, they are predators, which means that hunt their prey. This feeding process only serves to keep them active and encourage their instincts, but it also allows them to maintain an ideal weight and avoid obesity.
A very simple way to tell if a gecko is obese is observing the abdominal area. If you have an abdomen so swollen that it touches the ground when walking, that means we should reduce your daily portion of food. This portion should be calculated according to the size of the lizard.
Having said all that, and once you know what geckos eat and how they feed, make sure yours can hunt its prey. In this sense, it is noteworthy that they have a predilection for those insects that can fly.
What does baby gecko eat?
The baby lizards feed on the same as adults, that is, of insects. However, their diet varies a little in terms of servings, as they eat according to their size. That's why, to feed a baby gecko, the prey must be smaller, otherwise they won't be able to eat and will likely choke. In this sense, feeding one at home could imply offering it a legless cricket, a fact that should be taken into account before deciding to adopt an animal like this.
It is also important to emphasize that fruit or vegetables should never be given to them, for not only do they not like it, but they can also be harmful to the organism of these reptiles.
And if after knowing all this information about the feeding of small and large geckos you want to discover more interesting facts about other reptiles, don't miss these articles:
- Endangered Reptiles
- Types of lizards
- How to care for a leopard gecko
If you want to read more articles similar to What does gecko eat?, we recommend that you enter our Balanced Diets section.