Diet Composition of the Lizard Lacerta lepida in Central Spain

• Published in: Journal of herpetology Vol. 25; no. 1; pp. 30 - 36
• Main Authors: Castilla, Aurora M., Bauwens, Dirk, Llorente, Gustavo A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Saint Louis, MO Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles 01-03-1991
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Coleoptera; Diet; Estimated taxes; Food; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Lizards; Memoranda of understanding; Population estimates; Stomach; Taxa; Vertebrates; Europe; Spain; Prey; Vertebrata; Sauria; Diet; Food intake; Trophic factor; Reptilia; Feeding
• ISSN: 0022-1511; 1937-2418
• DOI: 10.2307/1564791

We studied diet composition of Lacerta lepida in a sample of 325 specimens from central Spain. This large lacertid lizard feeds predominantly on Coleoptera, but also consumes other arthropods, snails, small vertebrates, and some plant material. Composition of the animal fraction of the diet and trophic diversity were virtually identical in adult males and females. Juveniles fed upon a restricted number of prey types which were small in size, whereas adults consumed a large number of prey taxa, covering a wider range of prey sizes. Trophic segregation among individual lizards was highest in the smaller size classes. The incidence of plant material increased with lizard size and was highest in males, but it never represented a substantial fraction of the total diet. The contribution of small vertebrates to total prey numbers also increased with lizard body size. Our results indicate that vertebrates are of marginal numerical importance to the diet of L. lepida.