Do Salamanders Eat Lizards?

Salamanders are sneaky hunters. They move slow, stay quiet, and strike fast when something small gets too close. Most of the time, they eat bugs, worms, and other little things that fit easily in their mouths. But what about lizards? Those are reptiles, not insects. And some of them can get pretty big.

Salamanders don’t usually eat lizards, but some larger species might eat tiny lizards if the opportunity comes up. It’s not something they actively go looking for. But if a baby lizard happens to crawl by, and the salamander is big enough to handle it, it might take a chance. This usually only happens in certain places, and only with certain types of salamanders.

What Do Salamanders Usually Eat?

Before we talk about lizards, let’s look at what’s normally on the menu.

Salamanders typically eat soft, easy-to-catch prey like:

• Worms

• Grubs

• Small insects

• Spiders

• Snails

• Slugs

They like things that move but don’t fight back. Their hunting style is built for close-range ambushes. They wait for something to crawl by, then snap it up with their sticky tongue or quick jaws.

So eating another reptile, even a tiny one, is kind of outside their usual plan. But some salamanders are more adventurous than others.

When Would a Salamander Eat a Lizard?

This really depends on three things: size, opportunity, and instinct.

1. Size Matters

A small salamander isn’t going to mess with a lizard. Most adult lizards are just too big and too fast. But some salamanders get surprisingly large, especially ones like the tiger salamander or the Japanese giant salamander.

A big adult tiger salamander could easily overpower a newborn lizard if it wanted to.

2. Opportunity

Salamanders don’t chase things. If a tiny skink or hatchling lizard crawled right up next to them, they might react. Especially if it’s slow, sick, or not moving fast.

They don’t really think about what kind of animal it is. If it’s small enough to swallow and it moves, that’s sometimes all it takes.

3. Instinct and Hunger

Some salamanders are more aggressive eaters than others. If they’re kept in captivity and aren’t fed enough, they might try to eat anything in the tank that moves, including tank mates, and yes, even small lizards.

But in the wild, this kind of behavior is rare. They have plenty of other food choices that are way easier to catch.

Are There Records of Salamanders Eating Lizards?

Yes, but they’re rare, and usually happen in very specific situations.

Here are a few examples where it’s been seen or suspected:

• Tiger salamanders have been known to eat other amphibians and small reptiles in the wild. There are reports of them swallowing young snakes, baby frogs, and even small lizards if they get the chance.

• Japanese giant salamanders, which are huge and live in cold mountain streams, might eat small lizards or reptiles that fall into the water. But again, this is more of a “wrong place, wrong time” situation.

• In captivity, salamander keepers sometimes report strange behavior when animals are housed together. If a small anole or gecko is kept in the same tank as a hungry salamander, it may not last long. Even if they’re different species, salamanders don’t always play nice.

So yes, it happens,  just not often, and not on purpose.

What Kinds of Lizards Could Be at Risk?

Not all lizards are on the menu. Only the really small ones are in danger, and only in rare cases.

Some examples of lizards that might be eaten include:

• Baby skinks
  These hatchlings are tiny, shiny, and squirmy, everything a salamander might respond to.

• Small anoles
  Especially young ones that haven’t grown big yet. In captivity, they’re sometimes used as feeders for snakes or other reptiles, so salamanders might go after them too.

• House geckos
  These show up around humans and are easy to catch when young. If one wandered into a salamander’s range, it could be at risk.

But again, this isn’t common. Most of the time, lizards and salamanders live in different places and want different things.

Do Lizards Eat Salamanders?

Funny enough, it can go the other way too.

Some lizards, especially larger predatory ones like tegus, monitors, or even big skinks, will happily eat a salamander if they find one. Salamanders don’t have strong defenses, and their soft skin makes them easy targets.

Even smaller lizards like fence lizards or whiptails might eat salamander eggs or tadpoles if they come across them in a pond or stream.

So if anything, lizards are more likely to eat salamanders than the other way around.

Do Salamanders Eat Other Salamanders?

Yes, and this happens more often than you might think.

Cannibalism is pretty common in some species, especially tiger salamanders. When food is scarce, they’ll turn on their own kind. This is especially true for larvae in ponds. Some even grow bigger heads and wider jaws just for eating their siblings.

So if salamanders will eat their own kind, it’s not a stretch to think they might eat a baby lizard if they get the chance.

What Happens If You Keep Lizards and Salamanders Together?

Not a good idea. Even if they’re the same size, they have different needs.

Here’s why you shouldn’t house them together:

• Different humidity needs: Salamanders like it wet. Most lizards don’t.

• Different temperatures: Salamanders can overheat easily. Lizards usually need more warmth.

• Risk of stress: Neither one will be comfortable living with another animal that moves a lot.

• One might eat the other: Especially if there’s a big size difference or limited food.

Even if they don’t attack each other, they might pass along diseases. It’s just not worth the risk.

If you want both as pets, keep them in separate enclosures with proper setups for each.

Why Would a Salamander Avoid Eating Lizards?

Salamanders are cautious by nature. They don’t go looking for fights, and they don’t like getting injured.

Here’s why lizards usually aren’t appealing prey:

• Lizards can bite
  
  Even small ones might snap back or thrash around. That’s risky for a soft-bodied salamander.

• Tough skin
  
  Lizards have dry, scaly skin that can be harder to swallow or digest.

• Fast and twitchy
  
  Salamanders prefer slow, predictable prey. Lizards move too quickly for most of them.

• Tail drops
  
  Many lizards can drop their tails as a distraction. This might confuse a salamander, or leave it with a wriggling piece that doesn’t give much food.

So while a lizard might look like a meal at first glance, it’s usually more trouble than it’s worth.

Are There Any Lizard-Salamander Hybrids?

No, salamanders and lizards are not closely related, and they can’t interbreed.

Salamanders are amphibians. Lizards are reptiles. They split off on the evolutionary tree hundreds of millions of years ago. They don’t have the same number of chromosomes, and they don’t reproduce in the same way.

So even if they’re in the same tank or the same environment, they’ll never mate or produce hybrids. One might try to eat the other, but that’s as far as it goes.

What Do Experts Say About This?

Herpetologists  (people who study reptiles and amphibians) agree that salamanders are opportunistic feeders. That means they’ll eat whatever fits in their mouth, as long as it doesn’t fight back too much.

Lizards just aren’t a common part of their diet. But in special cases, especially with large or aggressive salamanders, it’s possible.

Captive salamanders are more likely to go after unusual prey, just because their world is smaller and they don’t always have good hunting choices. In the wild, they tend to stick to what they know.

Conclusion

Salamanders don’t usually eat lizards, but they might eat a very small one if it happens to crawl by.

It all depends on the size of the salamander, the size of the lizard, and how hungry they are at the time. Bigger species like tiger salamanders have been known to eat small reptiles on occasion, but it’s not something they regularly hunt.

In the wild, it’s rare. In captivity, it’s risky. And in general, salamanders prefer their food soft, slow, and squishy,  not scaly and fast.

So while it’s technically possible, it’s not part of their everyday diet. If you’re keeping either of these animals as pets, it’s best to keep them apart.