What do reptiles all eat?

From turtles to snakes, reptiles are surprisingly cute and fun to care for. Making sure your scaly friend has the right food to eat is just as important as following your own diet.

There are an estimated 9,500 different species of reptiles on the planet, from the meat-eating crocodile to the lettuce-loving turtle. There is no such thing as a "one size fits all" diet for reptiles.

That means it's important to study your pet. Spend time reading about the natural diet of your reptile's species and then find the right mix of fresh food, pellets and supplements to keep him healthy for a long time.

Different diets for different pet reptiles

Each species of reptile eats a slightly different diet. Let's look at some of the foods that each group of reptiles generally eats.

What do snakes eat?

Most snakes are carnivores or insectivores. They must eat meat and, for the most part, no fruits or vegetables. Most snakes eat a combination of:

• Insects of all shapes and sizes
• Rodents
• Other reptiles
• Birds
• Larger mammals
• Eggs, although this is not very common

You probably feed them mostly rodents, as these are by far the easiest way to feed a captive reptile. These can be fed at different ages and can be frozen, freshly killed or live.

Some snakes won't eat food unless it moves, which means there aren't really any alternatives to avoiding rodents. If you are squeamish about feeding frozen or live mice to your new pet, consider avoiding carnivorous snakes!

Feeding your carnivorous snake can quickly become expensive if you are unable to raise your own rodents.

Examples of pet snakes that eat meat include ball pythons and corn snakes.

What do lizards eat?

Lizards are a complex bunch. Most smaller lizards are primarily insectivores. However, other species of lizards may be herbivorous (vegetarian) or omnivorous (both meat and vegetables). Some large lizards are true predators, eating larger mammals with ease, but these are not commonly found as pets.

Insect-eating lizards are probably a better choice if you are familiar with killing crickets, but not rats.

In the wild, lizards can eat:

• A wide variety of worms, spiders, beetles, flies and other insects
• Other small animals such as baby birds, baby mice or smaller lizards
• Eggs
• Fruits and vegetables
• Larger prey, depending on the size of the lizard

The specific diet varies greatly depending on the species of lizard.

Most people feed their lizards crickets, mealworms or wax worms.

It is usually fairly easy to find crickets at your local pet store, making it easy to feed these reptiles. That said, if you only feed crickets, your insectivore may develop deficiencies in certain nutrients. You may want to look at additional options.

Examples of insectivorous pet lizards include anoles, leopard geckos and long-tailed skinks. Iguanas, another common pet lizard, are usually vegetarian. Bearded dragons and blue-tongued skinks are omnivores.

What do turtles eat?

The pacifists of the reptile world, most pet turtles do not eat meat or insects. These slow-moving animals prefer to eat things that can't run away, such as:

• Lettuce, beet greens and other leafy vegetables
• Various fruits, including apples, melons and mangoes
• Flowers
• A wide variety of other vegetables
• Some aquatic turtles eat fish or insects

Plant-eating turtles can be useful if you don't like the idea of other animals dying to feed your pet. Turtles often have complex nutritional needs because they have evolved to eat such a variety! Many omnivorous reptiles do best with a supplement or pellets to supplement their fresh meals.

Well-known examples of pet turtles are the herbivorous Russian tortoise and the omnivorous red-cheeked turtle.

Does my reptile need supplements?

Most pet reptiles eat much less varied foods than in the wild. For example, we often feed crickets to our anoles and mice to our corn snakes.

Even what the mice eat when they are alive is pretty bland, which can reduce their nutritional quality. If the mice are always eating nothing but plain old pellets, they are less nutritious for your snake.

Nutritional deficiencies can lead to weak bones, vulnerability to disease and generally a shorter lifespan for your pet. Pellets are a great way to supplement your reptiles' diet, especially for herbivores and omnivores. These balanced diets go a long way toward making your reptile healthier. Even with a mix of pellets and fresh food, many pet reptiles benefit from - or even need - supplements.

What supplements your reptile needs will vary greatly depending on what you are feeding and what species it is.

Some reptile owners feed their crickets and mice a supplemental diet, pollinate their crickets with supplement powder or sprinkle supplement powder on fruits and vegetables. For some reptiles, you can even add supplements to water.

In short, there are many different ways to make sure your reptile gets the diet it needs. The most important thing is to know your species and do your research to give it the best diet possible.