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Reptiles & Amphibians

What Do Backyard Lizards Actually Eat?

Wild lizards in a garden are almost entirely insect-eaters, not the varied diet pet-care sites describe. What they hunt, and what draws more of them to your yard.

By The Grow In Backyard Team 3 min read Save to Pinterest — opens Pinterest in a new tab
A brown anole lizard resting on a garden marker among leaf litter
Photo: ALAN SCHMIERER, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Most of what comes up when searching “what do lizards eat” is written for pet owners feeding a captive bearded dragon a curated diet of greens and insects. A lizard that showed up on your patio is answering a much simpler question: what can it catch.

What is actually on the menu

Typical prey of common backyard lizard species
PreyHow commonNotes
Crickets & grasshoppersVery commonA staple for most ground and garden lizards
BeetlesVery commonIncludes some species gardeners actively want fewer of
AntsCommonEspecially for smaller species and juveniles
Flies & gnatsCommonCaught opportunistically in the open
Moths & small butterfliesCommonOften taken at dusk near lights
SpidersCommonBoth a food source and, for large spiders, a rare threat
Small caterpillarsModerateIncludes some plant-pest species
Earthworms & slugsOccasionalMainly ground-dwelling species

A lizard's diet overlaps with what you already want fewer of

This is the part worth knowing if you are deciding whether a resident lizard population is a good thing: the insects making up most of a lizard’s diet include several species gardeners spend money trying to reduce. A yard that supports lizards is, indirectly, doing some of its own pest management.

Hunting style, not a fixed menu

Lizards are opportunistic ambush and pursuit hunters rather than selective feeders. What a given lizard eats on a given day depends almost entirely on what is moving within striking range, not on any preference. This is why “what do lizards eat” does not really have a species-by-species answer at the backyard scale — a skink and an anole in the same yard are eating largely the same available insects, differing mainly in hunting style and size of prey they can manage.

What draws more lizards to a yard

If lizards are welcome rather than a concern, three things reliably increase how many stick around:

  • Insect abundance. A yard with a healthy, varied insect population is the single biggest draw — and using broad-spectrum insecticide undermines this directly by removing the food supply.
  • Cover. Log piles, loose rock walls, dense low groundcover, and mulch give lizards places to retreat from predators and from summer heat.
  • Water. A shallow dish, saucer, or birdbath at ground level provides a reliable source in dry weather.

What they do not eat

Contrary to some pet-care content that gets surfaced for this search, the small lizard species typical of US backyards — anoles, skinks, most geckos — do not eat garden plants, vegetables, or ornamentals in any meaningful way. If something is damaging plants in a yard that also has lizards, the lizards are very unlikely to be the cause; look instead at the usual plant-eating suspects covered in garden pest control.

For how long these lizards actually live once they establish themselves in a yard — wild lifespan is much shorter than most people assume — see how long do lizards live.

Common questions

Are lizards good or bad to have in the garden?

Good, on balance. Most lizards commonly found in US backyards are insectivores, and their diet includes a number of species gardeners consider pests — small caterpillars, beetles, and flies among them. None of the small lizards typical of home gardens pose a meaningful risk to plants, pets, or people.

Do lizards eat plants?

The vast majority of small backyard lizard species in the US are strictly insectivorous and do not eat garden plants at all. A handful of larger lizard species elsewhere are partly herbivorous, but this is not typical of what shows up in a home garden.

What attracts lizards to a yard?

Insect abundance is the main draw, followed by cover — log piles, dense groundcover, rock walls, and mulch — and a reliable water source such as a shallow dish or birdbath. A yard with all three tends to hold a resident lizard population rather than only occasional visitors.

Do lizards eat mosquitoes?

Yes, along with many other small flying and crawling insects. Lizards are opportunistic hunters and will take mosquitoes, gnats, and similar pests when available, though they are not a targeted mosquito-control method the way some marketing implies.

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