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Iguanas are vegans, meaning they eat anything that doesn’t
contain protein.
Leopard Geckos consume crickets like you drink water. The blue- tongue skink
prefers dog food. Fido, beware.
Every animal, reptile or not, is either a herbivore (plant eater), carnivore
(meat and protein eater) or omnivore (both plant and protein-eating).
Herbivores, according to animal-world.com, need large amounts of plants and
vegetables, Parsley, dandelion leaves, cress, escarole, yellow vegetables and
fruits are good because they contain high fiber. Spinach is a no-no because it
adversely affects the level of calcium in the reptile.
Carnivores eat rodents, insects, goldfish, eggs and even other reptiles. Snake,
meet frog. Goodbye frog. Rabbits and chickens? Fair game.
Other common reptile food choices include crickets, earthworms, caterpillars,
beetle larvae and locusts. Crickets are low in calcium, however, so supplements
are important.
Reptilecare.com advises against using canned pellets as reptile food. Research
is inconclusive on whether these are good for reptiles.
Stick insects are another point of contention. Last month, a consumer posted a
warning on eBay alerting reptile owners that stick insects do not have the right
nutrients, and could harm your pet.
Animal-world.com has guidelines for keeping a healthy reptile:
- Feed amphibians daily. Remove whatever they don’t eat in five to 10 minutes.
- Some reptiles need the occasional break from daily feeding, so take a day off
every few days.
- Rodent-eating snakes should be fed about once a week.
- Learn about your individual pet. Not every reptile is the same.
- Supply pets with fresh water in a clean bowl daily.
Specialist Melissa Kaplan writes on anapsid.org that the presentation of food to
reptiles is important. “Proper presentation not only makes food attractive to
the reptile, which will help stimulate feeding, but will ensure that the food
can be safely consumed.”
A plate must be used so the reptile doesn’t ingest the soil as it’s eating
its feeds, thus preventing illness.
Owners could remove reptiles from their cages and separate them for feeding, a
practice ideal for snakes and some lizards.
Plant foods should be mixed to prevent the reptile from picking out only certain
plants and leaving the rest. “Captive diets made up of one or two types of
plants is not nutritious and will result in nutritional deficiency disorders.”
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