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What Does a Garden Lizard Eat?

A garden lizard is a reptile that you may see in trees, grass, and shrubbery. In warm climates, these reptiles multiple and stay quiet and observant. In this article we will discover what they eat and more.

What Does A Garden Lizard Eat? These outdoor survivors eat snails, insects, crickets, caterpillars, and small bugs. In fact, the best diet for them includes what has been mentioned along with leafy greens and fruits. Normally, garden lizards eat small portions throughout the week. 

Understanding what this lizard eats is just one part of the story, you need to know their lifespan, other weird names they have how to care for them and more. If that interests you read on.

How The Garden Lizards Diet Helps Us

Although they come in many different sizes and shapes, the garden lizard stands out with its thick and scaly body. To top that off, the garden lizard will keep the count of insects down that could cause harm to your house.

If the climate changes from warm to cold, these reptiles are already prepared. Garden lizards store food in the ground or in the mud. 

Ideally, if you leave fruit and lettuce on your patio, you will see a lot of garden lizards during the hottest months of the year.

What Is The Garden Lizard's Scientific Name?

Scientifically, garden lizards are called "Calotes Versicolor." The reason why this name was given to the garden lizard was to show how well they adapted to their environment and know how to survive with limited food sources.

There are many more types of lizards that are apart of the world of reptiles but the garden lizard is close in nature with the chameleon. There is no other lizard that learns from their environment like this particular group of reptiles.

These scales help to protect them in the grass and shrubbery from being attacked by other animals. 

What Other Names Do They Have?

These crawling reptiles have other names that science goes by. In detail, their alternate names aren't used as commonly as the name garden lizard, but in some places, these lizards are called changeable lizard, oriental garden lizard, eastern garden lizard, and agamid lizard. 

I have noticed that garden lizards have a color that blends with anything that you can grow in a garden. In other terms, they can blend with their surroundings if they are in a garden or are eating and can't watch out for a predator. 

What Is Their Natural Habitat?

As mentioned before, garden lizards live in trees or grass. Hypothetically, these reptiles love to warm up in the sun in China, Asia, and Mexico to cover up when the sun goes down.

Garden lizards love to have water near to make sure they don't dehydrate. If cold climates are around the garden lizard, they will hide underground or rocks where warmness is still present.

Because tropical places hold warmness in the ground, garden lizards don't appear during cold fronts. That's why they learn how to live in the ground as well as land. 

Primarily, garden lizards are important in a vegetable garden because they lessen the population of insects. This will keep a clean and healthy during the spring and summer.

There are many places in the world that offer window seals. Lizards love flowers that are on window seals. In most countries, you can watch a garden lizard climb to the window seal and have a few petals and insects for lunch. If you have lots of flowers in the spring, you should expect to see garden lizards.

How Big Is A Garden Lizard?

Typically, this reptile stays small in size but will not be any bigger than 8 inches long. Most garden lizards are 10cm and usually stay that size. That's close to 4 inches, but they have been noted to grow bigger than that.

Occasionally, the male garden lizards grow bigger when it is time to breed. Male garden lizards have a large spiky head to help maintain their territory. Lizards have tails that can grow up to 35 cm.

On www.sanctuaryasia.cim, You will see the garden lizard more across Asia that in any other place. Females have a change in their color during breeding season that is much lighter than the males. The male garden lizards are much bigger than the female garden lizards. In nature, the two are easy to spot and easy to decipher between the two of them.

How Long Is A Garden Lizard's Lifespan?

Garden lizards have a lifespan of 1-30 years. Typically, the average lifespan for them is around 10 years. They can live past those ten years if they learn their adaptation. Garden lizards enjoy the climates and learn to work together in order to live longer. Also, they can survive simply by drinking water and staying cool.

Specifically, the garden lizard can live for weeks without eating. In captivity, most garden lizards live for about 5 years. 

I would suspect that garden lizards who are captured are afraid of their new surroundings. For those pet lovers that have trapped a garden lizard, if you see the garden lizard not eating, I would free the lizard with lettuce and a few berries. That way, you would be saving the life of a reptile.

Are Garden Lizards Poisonous?

Particularly, garden lizards are not poisonous. They don't carry any poisonous blood or venom in them. However, garden lizards are connected to reptiles who are poisonous, but it doesn't affect their lives. Believe it or not, the garden lizard is harmless.

Garden lizards give off signals whenever they are trying to warn another animal or a human. 

Will They Benefit From A Hide Box?

A hide box is not beneficial for the garden lizards, because they need to be in the open and away from cats. If a person is interested in lizards, you have to have a garden or have your own pots of flowers in the backyard or front yard. That will definitely interest the garden lizard.

Do Garden Lizards Lay Eggs?

Garden lizards lay eggs to reproduce. They usually store their eggs underground and use grass as a supply of water and food. If all possible, they will love for their food near or in a home garden. Most lizards are out during the day to look for food, but they always cover their eggs up before they are out of their sight.

It is amazing to see how a lizard recalls where they live. In actuality, they are reptiles of instinct. Meaning, they will come back and check to see if all lizards are hatched from the eggs at the right time. If no food is available, garden lizards will bury their eggs near a tree or a bush.

Theoretically, this is their way of helping the newly born garden lizards to find food as quickly as possible. These reptiles will dig a hole at least 1-5 inches deep to bury their eggs inside of the whole. 

Do Garden Lizards Bite?

Surprisingly, garden lizards do bite, but because they are not poisonous, if a person is bitten, it won't interfere with their lives too much.

Specifically, if a person is bitten by a garden lizard, it may look like a scratch. It can be dressed and first aid can be used if needed. Garden lizards don't attack to bite, they have to feel like they are in danger in order to react that way.

For many reasons, garden lizards love to be outside. It's not a good idea to keep them as house pets, because they don't like the adjustment that has to take place.

If you try to capture a garden lizard, the chances are it will escape and hide in your home. To avoid that whole situation, you should make them a home outside of your home. That's what I would do. 

Overall, it may be a great or heartfelt suggestion, but if a garden lizard is kept in its natural habitat, its lifespan is much longer. Therefore, they wouldn't make great home pets. In some cases, garden lizards are kept in the zoo and aquariums for people to see them. 

What Is The Ideal Housing For A Garden Lizard?

The ideal housing for a garden lizard is a forest, shrubbery, trees, flowers, under rocks, and in mud near water. Most garden lizards have to be coaxed into trusting you if you want to keep them in the house.

At first, you can set up a hide box outside with food underneath it. It will allow a garden lizard to eat the food that you offer without any stress. After a while, the garden lizard will continue to grow and grow.

How Often Should You Clean Out Their Housing?

When in an aquarium, their homes have to be cleaned out twice per month. Fresh food has to be placed in the aquarium along with a small dish of water. If you choose to place them in an aquarium, I would suggest making this new home very comfortable. It's hard to be in the wild for a while, and then, you are in an aquarium.

I would pick and choose my battles carefully. In other words, you could make the aquarium larger to give the garden lizard a chance to move around and breathe.

If the surroundings aren't comfortable for the garden lizard in an aquarium, they will stop eating. If that occurs, I would go ahead and free them in the woods or near a plant. 

Can Garden Lizards Change Colors?

Previously mentioned, garden lizards are like chameleons. They do come in different shades of green, but they can't change color like a chameleon.

A garden lizard chooses to remain immobile to blend in with its surroundings. They can't be spotted very easily during this time.

Do Garden Lizards Have Teeth?

Garden lizards do have teeth, and I feel like anyone should be frightened by them. For that reason, it isn't best to aggravate the reptile. They use their teeth to find food and pinpoint their prey.

Basically, their teeth grip their prey until they are able to be captured. Their teeth aren't that long to the human eye, but in the eyes of their prey, they are vicious. Lizards are able to regrow teeth if they fall out.

What Are Their Water Requirements?

Garden lizards only have to drink small amounts of water. They can't be surrounded by water that could cause them to drown. Without a question, garden lizards are careful to not fall in puddles of water. Hence, if you choose to keep one as a pet, I would suggest that you keep an eye on the response that the garden lizard gives when it is surrounded by water in an aquarium. 

Are They Good Pets For Beginners?

I wouldn't recommend having a garden lizard as a first pet. Clearly, there is a lot of upkeep with them.

In general, I think pet lovers should start off with a pet that doesn't require a lot of upkeep. Eventually, a garden lizard could be a future pet, but I wouldn't rush into it.

If your child is wants a smaller pet, I wouldn't suggest  a garden lizard. An adult should be supervising over them. I wouldn't leave it up to the child to take care of a garden lizard. In some cases, they may forget to feed them.

Are There Any Known Health Issues They May Get?

Garden lizards can develop fungal infections, mouth rot, cold and respiratory infection. As well as the risk of mites and ticks, and worm diseases. Like most pets. they can become sick if they are not properly cared for. 

In addition to those infections, they may sneeze, cough, hack, wheeze, and nasal discharge. Fungal infections they can endure are usually on the surface of the skin.

If any of these infections occur, I would clean the entire aquarium out, and take the lizard to the veterinarian immediately. ​

I would recommend that you disinfect your lizard's tank at least once a year.

Remember this. a humid environment helps them feel more relaxed. If a humid atmosphere is not available for a reptile, it could lead to dehydration or worse.

If you ever come across one with symptoms of sickness, I would leave food where they are and be a good Samaritan and call your local veterinarian. When at that point, the veterinarian may suggest disinfectants that have to be sprayed in and around your home.

Specifically, the mist serves the purpose of a natural disinfectant for garden lizards. I would be an advocate for those who are wanting to keep a garden lizard if they build a misting system for them in their aquarium. Other than that, I would have flowers, bushes, and trees outside of my home like I mentioned before.

What Lighting And Heating Do They Need?

You can use UVB lights to help the lizard adapt to being in an aquarium. This method helps them feel like they are basking in the sun. Garden lizards also sit in the sun to digest their food. The lighting and heating depends on the seasons. If it is cold outside, the garden lizard likes warmer temperatures.

I would suggest making the aquarium comfortable to encourage garden lizards to grow. Garden Lizards love the sun so much that they will sit in it all day long. In reality, it helps the reptile produce vitamins.

The results of having a good amount of vitamins in their system is noticible when they shed their skin and have a new coat for all to see. If you can create a home for garden lizards, I would definitely study solar lights. 

The most awesome instinct that they have is the ability to adapt to temperatures around them. Unlike humans, garden lizards can warm up in the winter time without having to be covered. Garden lizards are even smart enough to gather leaves for their own dwellings. 

The Conclusion About Garden Lizards

It is evident through science and technology that garden lizards protect and keep flowers and crops from being completely ruined by insect invasion. And in turn are a great asset to us, whether that be as pets or in their natural habitat.

Wayne
 

Hi, this is me with my daughter and my Lizard friend. I hope you enjoy my research. Please feel free to check out my "About Me" page to find out more about me.