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Biologists use three terms to describe the feeding behavior of animals. Carnivores, or predators, feed upon other living animals; herbivores feed upon plants; and omnivores feed upon both plants and animals. Most desert lizards are carnivores or omnivores. In some deserts, large monitor lizards are important predators in the ecosystem and will consume many species of reptiles, mammals, and birds. The largest lizard in the United States is the Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum), which is a carnivore and feeds upon small mammals and occasionally the eggs of ground-nesting birds. In fact, most lizards are carnivores and their primary food source is insects. Insect Food Insects are the primary food for desert lizards in captivity. The more common commercially raised feeder insects are gray crickets (Acheta domesticd), meal worms (Tenebriomolitor), king mealworms or super worms (Zophobas morio), and waxworms (Galleria melonella). Herpetoculturists with time and space can easily raise these species in captivity. Dr. Fredric Frye's book A Practical Guide for Feeding Captive Reptiles (1991) discusses the culturing of most of these species. For those who do not want to raise their own insects, there is an increasing variety of commercial sources for insects. A review of any reptile magazine will provide addresses for some of the larger insect supply sources. For small collections insects can be gathered outside. This is often the only source for lizards having more specialized diets such as ants or termites. It is best to avoid urban and agricultural areas where pesticides are applied because these chemicals may adversely affect your lizards. Increasing the Nutritive Value of Insect Food Insects vary in their nutritive value so it is best to feed a variety of insects to enhance nutrition. In addition, you can increase the nutritive value of your feeder insects by using the concept known as "gut loading" (de Vosjoli 1994). Gut loading refers to the stomach contents of the feeder insects being offered to your lizard. The concept is that whatever the insect eats so will the lizard when it consumes the insect. For example, meal worms, king mealworms, and crickets can all be fed moistened alfalfa pellets or other plant materials that will increase the amount of calcium in the insects' stomachs. To be effective, the insects must be allowed to feed on the food source for at least 48 hours prior to feeding them to the lizards. Later we will discuss salads for omnivorous lizards that can also be fed to the insects. This method of providing natural vitamins and minerals should not be overlooked. The author gets all of his reptile cages from legacycages.com. They now offer terrariums for your pets, as well.
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