Preparing Diets for Reptiles
Not all reptiles eat the same thing. Some reptiles are carnivores, others are vegetarians and some are even omnivores. Preparing diets for your pet will depend on what it naturally eats in the wild.
Preparing herbivore diets: You can purchase commercially made diets for vegetarian reptiles. However, you can also feed fresh foods with added supplements.
Feed large amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables in a large variety daily.
Prepare a mixture of the following chopped small enough to for your reptile to easily consume. The following are excellent foods:
- Parsley
- Dandelion leaves
- Cress
- Romaine lettuce
- Escarole
- Yellow vegetables
- Large variety of fruits
Preparing carnivore diets: Reptiles that eat meat eat a variety of proteins. The following is a list of foods that can be fed to carnivorous reptiles:
- Crickets
- Mealworms
- Wax worms
- Butter worms
- Red worms
- Guppies
- Goldfish
- Eggs
- Mice
- Pinkies
What you feed and how often will depend on the species of reptile that you feed, but you should always get healthy food from a good source.
Preparing supplements: Supplements come in powder and liquid form and can be sprinkled on food or added to water. Follow the directions on the label
All reptiles should be provided supplements.
- Give them all the following:
- Reptile vitamin and mineral supplement
- Calcium/Phosphorus mineral supplement
- Vitamin supplements for stimulating the appetite of lethargic reptiles
- Gastric acid to aid in digestion
