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Although most reptiles are carnivores, some are omnivores and a few are
herbivores or strictly plant eaters. Most reptiles have a rather
primitive digestive tract making them in most cases very specialized
feeders. Certain forms have no means of digesting plant fibres, while
others have difficulty digesting high protein sources (e.g. animals).
Some groups shift from a higher protein diet in their juvenile stage to
a higher fibre diet in their adult stage for example iguanas. Often
these higher protein diets consists of sprouts, young greens and
growing foliage, but some groups fulfill their need for protein by
occasionally eating insects or animal matter (omnivores). Since
reptiles in captivity consume less energy than in the wild it is also
necessary to adapt their diets to their life in a terrarium. Some
species that eat invertebrates or even small vertebrates in the wild
can easily thrive on pure vegetable diets in captivity (e.g. Bearded
Dragons and Uromastix sp.) since less energy is needed. |
