There are a number of different foods you can use to feed your Reptile depending on size dietary requirements. Most Lizards are insectivores, meaning they will eat a wide range of insects, however, the most common insects most readily available from reptile suppliers are Crickets, Mealworms, Locusts, waxworms and Silkworms. Whilst wild insects can be used it is imperative to ensure that they are healthy and have not been contaminated with pesticides or other chemicals. Other Lizards are omnivorous, combining vegetation in their diet alongside insects or small invertebrates. Bearded Dragons are an example of the latter category enjoying a variation of fruit, vegetables and flowers as part of a balanced diet, with larger adults often consuming pinkies (baby mice) and/or chicks, although this is more common with larger Reptiles such as Snakes and Monitors.

Research is essential before purchasing any Reptile to maintain the correct dietary requirements and quantities, remember over feeding can be as harmful as under feeding. Keeping to set feeding times will help your Reptile get in to a routine, reducing levels of stress, and basic hygiene, such as cleaning food bowls between feeds, will also maintain high levels of health.

Water is also a vital element for health and a clean, shallow bowl of water should be placed in the enclosure daily and a regular spray of water will benefit your Reptile, especially in the case of Anoles and Chameleons that will only lap water up from droplets on leaves and should thus be sprayed around 3-4 times per day. Researching and gathering advice will obtain the correct requirements for a particular species. Please click on the item below for more information.

This is a document containing detailed information about Nutritional Needs & Types of food

This ia a document containing detailed information about the Daily Care & Feeding needs of Lizard.

Crickets

These come in a variety of sizes from as small as a pinhead - to use with baby or small Lizards - through to large, about one inch in length. A good way to judge the size suitable for your Lizard is to use crickets no larger then the size of their head. When you purchase your crickets it is important you take the same amount of care of them as you would your Reptile, after all you are what you eat. With this last point in mind buying or making a 'Cricket House' is highly recommended and carries three key benefits,

(1) the crickets have more room to move, improving quality of life and notably increasing life expectancy and breeding rates if required.

(2) the use of a tube allows easier transportation into the Reptile enclosure.

(3) allows you to put fresh food and water into their home, along with specially formulated cricket feed, making the crickets more nutritious for your Reptile.

The following link is an ideal place to start looking for ideal vegetation to feed your crickets, and Reptile: Beautiful Dragons

How to build a Cricket Home

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Locusts & Hoppers

Locusts also come in a range of sizes from small to large and are an ideal food to keep your Lizard lively, living up to their name as hoppers. Whilst locusts are more nutritious then crickets it is a good idea to feed them with fresh fruit and vegetables and a commercial supplement. If using a ‘cricket home', due to their active nature, a larger size is recommended. Be warned that the shape of large locusts can cause your Lizard problems and are best avoided.

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Mealworms & Mealworm beetles

Mealworms are another popular food choice for Reptile owners and like the other live foods must be kept in adequate conditions and fed well with fresh fruit and vegetables. However these worms have a thick skin that can cause digestive problem in small Lizards and are thus only recommended in limited amounts to allow time for complete digestion. After a few weeks the worms will turn into beetles that can be used to breed (20 beetles can produced around 100 mealworms) or used as food for larger Lizards as they are again hard to digest and should be limited. For added nutrition mealworms and beetles can be dipped into a commercial vitamin powder, such as Nutrobal, before being placed into the Reptiles enclosure.

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Waxworms & Moths

Wax worms are the larvae of a small moth and are great to use to fatten up your Lizard as they have a very high fat content. Yet, due to this reason should be fed in small numbers as a treat. These are ideal for any Lizard as they are very soft making chewing easy. After a few weeks, depending what temperature they are kept at, they will turn into small moths that can also be fed to your reptile.

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Silkworms

Silkworms are an ideal source of nutrients for you Lizard and as they contain an enzyme called serrapeptase make calcium absorption more efficient, can reduce inflammation, pain and can break down arterial plaque. They come in a number of different sizes and are great for all Lizards as they are easy to digest. Silkworms are, however, much less common then the previous food sources described but are rated highly by Reptile experts and a worth the effort of acquiring.

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Fruit, Vegetables & flowers

For those lizards that eat fruit & vegetables it is important to feed them a varied choice and experiment to find what they like and dislike. Squashes, dandelion leaves, turnip tops and m ustard greens are all good source of nutrients, and Bearded Dragons also show a preference for banana as an occasional treat. The following link is for a website that acts as a good knowledge base when it comes to choosing green to feed you lizard: Beautiful Dragons

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Vertebrates (Pinkies & Chicks)

Not all Lizards are able to eat vertebrates and thus research into your specific breed is essential. If able to pinkies or baby mice are a good place to start with and can be purchased frozen from most Reptile retailers as it is against the law to feed live invertebrate. Ensure that the pinkie is properly defrosted before being offered to your Reptile. If no interest is shown you may need to wiggle the food with some clean tweezers to draw attention that it is a food source, do not leave uneaten food in the enclosure for long periods of time as the heat will quickly cause it to inedible or bad.

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Vitamin & diet formula

Once you have chosen your food source it is very important you dust food items, including live food and vegetation, with a multi-vitamin or high calcium supplement. If using a ‘cricket home' as described above powder can be shaken down the tube before emptied into the Reptile enclosure. Otherwise food could be picked up using tweezers and dunked into a small amount of powder in a separate bowl before being placed in the enclosure to avoid contamination across food types. Small pieces of cuttlefish can also be offered to your Reptile to boost calcium intake to prevent deficiency that can lead to Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD), a one of many potential fatal diet related problems.

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