What Do Lizards Eat: Feeding And Hunting Behavior Of Common Wall Lizards and Western Green Lizards

Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) eating a cherry (Ticino, Switzerland, 06-2024)

Young western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) eating a beetle (Ticino, Switzerland 05-2022)

Lizards are not particularly picky animals and will eat pretty much any creature that can fit into their mouths: beetles, flies, caterpillars, worms and the like are all on their menu. That goes for most lizards in continental Europe - not just the two species referred to in the title.

Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) eating the caterpillar of a red admiral (Vanessa atalanta), Ticino, Switzerland, 10-2022

They also love to eat slugs, so it's not just "herp lovers" who should be happy to have these fascinating and very useful reptiles living in their garden. What's also true for most of our native lizard species is that they aren't exclusively carnivores, and their diet also consists of small fruit from time to time, so if they happen upon a juicy berry (or a cherry), they'll gladly accept it.

Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) biting into a cherry (Ticino, Switzerland, 06-2024)

The lizards native to Central Europe (common wall lizard, sand lizard, viviparous lizard and green lizard) generally forage the ground for something to eat, constantly flickering their tongues which they use to smell.

Western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) foraging for food on the ground while flickering its tongue to smell potential prey

When necessary, lizards are agile hunters, as they are quick runners and excellent climbers - and they can jump quite well too: I've even seen a young western green lizard catch a flying insect at least 20 centimeters from the ground by jumping in the air.

A young western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) has caught a wasp (Ticino, Switzerland, 05-2022)

Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) eating a beetle (Ticino, Switzerland, 05-2023)

However, active hunting, which uses a lot of energy, is rarely necessary, because most of the lizards' prey - which consists mostly of invertebrates - do not move particularly quickly. Lizards also like to drink, and especially when it is hot, you can help them out by placing a shallow bowl of water in the garden (if possible in the shade and hidden under plants so that they are not discovered by cats while drinking). Otherwise, lizards absorb fluids through their food (like when they eat a juicy cherry, for example ;-).

Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) flickering its tongue at a juicy cherry (Ticino, Switzerland, 06-2024)

Oh, and they also have very small teeth, which don't really hurt when they bite a human (which they only ever do when you catch one by hand and it resorts to desperate means in order to get away), but can do quite a bit of damage to a snail or beetle (or another lizard), because they can bite down pretty hard.

Male western green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) defends its territory (Ticino, Switzerland, 06-2024)

Common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis), licking its mouth after devouring prey, tiny teeth are visible (Ticino, Switzerland, 05-2022)

Ultimately, feeding behavior also depends on the size of the lizard: the larger the lizard, the larger the potential prey. And yes, they are cannibals who also eat their own - albeit rarely.

Cannibalism: a Podarcis muralis male devours a female of the same species

In case you're interested, you'll find my best nature photos here