Garden lizards are a common sight across many residential landscapes. These small reptiles are primarily opportunistic carnivores, relying on a diet of animal matter to sustain their metabolism. The vast majority of species found in gardens are insectivores, actively hunting small invertebrates. Understanding what they consume helps determine their role in your yard, often establishing them as effective, natural allies in maintaining a healthy ecosystem.
The Primary Menu: Pest Control Specialists
The diet of most common garden lizards centers on invertebrates frequently considered pests by gardeners. These reptiles function as efficient, natural pest control specialists, actively suppressing populations of destructive insects. Lizards like anoles and skinks consume numerous small, soft-bodied insects, including aphids, mites, and whiteflies, which damage foliage and spread plant diseases.
Their hunting habits extend to larger, more mobile garden nuisances, such as crickets, grasshoppers, and small beetles. Western Fence Lizards, for example, are known to prey upon ants, flies, and caterpillars, helping to protect vegetable crops from defoliation. Nocturnal species, such as geckos, contribute to pest management by feeding on night-active insects like moths and cockroaches.
Lizards also manage ground-level pests that harm seedlings and tender plants. Southern Alligator Lizards and various skinks consume slugs and snails, which chew holes through leaves. Even the larvae of various pests, often hidden in leaf litter or near standing water, are consumed, controlling insect populations across multiple life stages. This consistent predation reduces the need for chemical intervention, signaling a healthy, balanced garden environment.
Beyond Insects: Occasional Dietary Supplements
While invertebrates form the bulk of a garden lizard’s diet, certain species may consume secondary food sources. Some lizards, particularly omnivorous types, supplement their insect intake with plant matter. This includes sampling soft, ripe berries, pollen, or nectar from flowers, providing simple sugars and hydration.
The plant material consumed is typically a minor part of their overall diet and is rarely significant enough to cause noticeable damage to crops. For instance, anoles are observed licking nectar from blooms, gaining energy without harming the plant structure. It is important to distinguish these opportunistic tastes from the full-scale herbivory of larger species.
On occasion, larger garden lizards may become carnivorous and consume very small vertebrates or other lizards. This can include hatchling geckos, smaller individuals of their own species, earthworms, and spiders. Such instances are usually driven by the need for a protein boost, especially during breeding seasons or periods of food scarcity. These supplementary items remain secondary to the steady supply of insects and arthropods.
Hydration and Habitat: Finding Food and Water Sources
A lizard’s success in finding food is connected to the structure and moisture level of its habitat. Lizards rarely seek open pools of water for drinking, instead obtaining most hydration from the moisture content of their prey. They also absorb water from dew, condensation, or rainwater droplets that collect on surfaces.
Dense, low-growing foliage, ground cover, and natural debris attract prey and offer hunting grounds. Leaf litter and mulch provide shelter for the insects and arthropods that are the lizard’s primary food source. Hunting in these areas also protects lizards from predators like birds and domestic animals.
Creating a varied landscape with features like rocks, logs, and stone piles offers basking areas necessary for thermoregulation and provides safe retreats. These features naturally support a diverse insect population, ensuring a steady supply of prey. Maintaining cover and a healthy insect ecosystem directly supports the lizard’s feeding and survival.
Why You Should Not Feed Garden Lizards
Intentionally feeding wild garden lizards is not recommended. Offering human food, pet food, or non-native insects can lead to nutritional deficiencies that compromise the lizard’s health. Processed foods lack the balanced nutrients, particularly calcium, found in their natural insect diet, potentially leading to debilitating conditions like metabolic bone disease.
Artificially feeding lizards creates a dependency on humans, reducing their natural hunting instincts. This reliance makes them more vulnerable to predators or starvation if the artificial food source is removed. Furthermore, providing outside food can unnaturally concentrate lizard populations, increasing competition and the spread of parasites. The most supportive action a gardener can take is to avoid pesticides and maintain a natural habitat that ensures a continuous, safe supply of their natural prey.