Can Lizard Eat Rat?

There are a lot of different species of lizard. Some of them are big, and some of them are small. Lizards live in an environment where they frequently come across rats, and they probably fight with them.

But can lizard eat rat? Small lizards apparently can not eat rats but big lizards can, rats can fill up their significant portion of their daily diet. The size of the lizard determines how many rats they can eat in a single day. Owners feed rats to their pet lizard, and they eat it without hesitation.

Big Lizards Eats Rats

Big lizards like monitor lizards, crocodile monitor etc. eat rats. Rats may be fast, but lizards have a precise strategy to catch and eat rats. Lizards ambush the rat when the rat is not looking and can capture the rats. They can even dig up their holes and eat them.

Big Lizards Eat Baby Rats

Baby rats are easy prey for big lizards. Big lizards have an extraordinary sense of smell, and they can smell the baby rats, find them and eat them. This is a very common phenomenon.

Since the mother rat cannot compete against big a lizard, so all of them becomes an easy meal for the lizard. Sometimes the holes where the rats live are deep, and the lizard can not reach, but that doesn’t stop the lizard from trying. Once a lizard smells its prey, it will continue to chase them unless they find them. 

Are Rats Favorite Food Of Lizard?

Favorite or not, you can often see them eating rats. If a lot of rats live in the same habitat where lizards live then you can often see them eating rats. Lizards know how to lure the rats out of its place and how to enter their place.

Lizards can also chase their prey and can eat them. Lizards can run very fast, and a rat cannot escape a sudden attack. Once the lizards capture the rats, then the rat cannot escape, and it’s a game over for the rat.

Lizards Eat Dead Rat

Out in the wild mouse dies of various reasons and the big lizards eat them. They can smell the rotten rats for miles away and can precisely pinpoint the location. These dead rats easy food for them. Lizards have powerful digestive fluids so they can digest almost anything. 

Pet Lizard Eats Rat

If you have pet lizards like monitor, tegu etc. then you can feed them dead rat. It is a common practice. They eat dead rat, and it doesn’t cause any side effects. Of course, you are not going to feed them rotten rat so they will be okay. A big lizard can eat a lot of rats so if you are planning to feed them, then make sure to arrange at least 5-10 rats.

People feed their lizards with rats that they can find from nearby areas. It can get challenging to feed lots of living rat to a lizard because they will be moving around and will be difficult to manage. So the pet owner usually feeds them dead rats.

How Often Do Lizards Eat Rats?

It depends upon the availability of rats in a particular area. If there are a lot of them, then they will eat them frequently, but lizards also eat other foods which can be bigger and can satisfy them in a better way, so they don’t always actively look for rats. 

Lizards are opportunistic creatures, and they will eat whatever they get. Sometimes it can be challenging to capture rats. As they are small, quick and they can get inside holes where the big lizards cannot enter. Usually, lizard makes ambush a rat, but sometimes that can fail, and the lizard can be left with nothing.

So this is a risky choice. They are getting a small amount of food and along with that if they miss they will waste their time and energy. If these big lizards have other option instead of rats, then the lizards will take it, especially if that can provide them with more meat.

Why Lizard Eats Rats?

There are few reasons to why lizards feed on rats. Big lizards are not always at the top of the food chain. Many predators can fight and even eat big lizards. There are snakes like king cobra who can eat monitor lizards. Lizards are opportunistic creatures and then knows that there is a lot of predators that can harm them.

So they lay low, and they eat whatever they can. Small snakes, eggs, small lizards and rats are all included in their food list. This food perfectly fits their diet because lizards like monitor lizards can get them without fighting against big predators like a lion or tiger.

Eating a few rats will satisfy their hunger, and also gives them enough energy to move around. Apart from Komodo dragon all other big lizards avoid going near the territory of lions, tigers, hyenas unless there is a strong reason behind it which is usually a prey.

If these big cats or other big predators have hunted some animals and they are not in the area, then these big lizards will go and try to eat those animals. Although it’s extremely risky sometimes, they are willing to take risks.

So, the primary reason why lizards are often seen eating rats is that they want to lay low and don’t want to get spotted by big predators. This ensures their survival and also satisfies their hunger.

Rats Can Eat Dead Lizard

Rats can eat almost anything. They are even seen to eat other small and weak rats. So if a big lizard is dead, then rats can eat them. That will be easy food for the rats. Rats cannot fight against big lizard, so this is the only way.

Rats also have an extraordinary sense of smell so they can track the lizard carcass and then can start feeding on the dead lizard. A lot of rats can gather in that place and can have their feast. Of course, the smell of dead carcass would attract other predators, but rats are willing to take the risk. 

A big lizard can die because of various reasons like an attack by other predators, fighting with other big lizards. The best part for rats will be if the lizard dies right in front of their home. They can get to the lizard easily, and the risks will be much less since it will close to their home. The moment they sense danger, they will run away. 

Rats Eat Small Lizards

Rats can eat small sized lizards. Rats are omnivores, and they can hunt and eat lizards. Some rats gets quite big, and small lizards can’t capture and eat them.

So the rat as the dominant species over here eats the lizards. Usually, they don’t do that, but if they get the opportunity, then they will take it. In places where there is a lot of pf scarcity, these rats can actively hunt small lizards.

Conclusion

Big lizards eat rats, and they do it quite often, but lizards are not their primary food. Since lizards are opportunistic creatures, they eat whatever they can. Rats are small compared to lizards, so rat becomes easy prey to these big lizards. Lizards are often seen to eat rats; it’s because they don’t have other options most of the time.

They cannot compete against big predators, so they are left with food that is not often eaten by big predators. If lizards can catch a baby deer or rabbit frequently, then they will be much more beneficial. But unfortunately, deer, rabbit are often targeted by big predators, and they can not take risks because big predators can eat lizards.