Northern Fence Lizard's Menu:
Northern Fence Lizards are insectivores and they prey on smaller insects such as:
centipedes, beetles, spiders, and snails in order to maintain a balanced food chain.
centipedes, beetles, spiders, and snails in order to maintain a balanced food chain.
Predator List:
How Northern Fence Lizards Eats/Digest Foods:
Unlike humans, who have a complex digestive system, lizards, endure a simple process in order break food down into energy. In order for the Northern Fence Lizard to obtain energy, the following usually occurs:
Ingestion:
I: The Northern Fence Lizard locates its prey and waits for its target to come close
II : After the Lizard 's prey reaches a close range, using its tongue, the lizard strikes and captures it prey.
Digestion:
III: once the prey is in the lizard's mouth, it will use its teeth to mechanically chew its food. The enzyme amylase, found in the salavia in the lizard's mouth will help break down proteins. As the Lizard is chewing the food, a bolus is being created in the back of the lizards tongue. The Lizard will then swallow the bolus down the esophagus. The esophagus will then push food down the digestive tract.
IV:Afterwards, the esophagus will then transport the food into the stomach. Once the food has entered the stomach, mechanical and chemical digestion will help further break down the food. The stomach will mechanically churn the food, and stomach acids will help chemically break down proteins.
V:Next, the the food travels to the small intestines, where water is absorbed, and diffused through the villi.
VI: Lastly, after being diffused through the villi, the waste exit through the cloaca opening |1|.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/498684/reptile/38474/Digestive-and-urogenital-systems |1|
Ingestion:
I: The Northern Fence Lizard locates its prey and waits for its target to come close
II : After the Lizard 's prey reaches a close range, using its tongue, the lizard strikes and captures it prey.
Digestion:
III: once the prey is in the lizard's mouth, it will use its teeth to mechanically chew its food. The enzyme amylase, found in the salavia in the lizard's mouth will help break down proteins. As the Lizard is chewing the food, a bolus is being created in the back of the lizards tongue. The Lizard will then swallow the bolus down the esophagus. The esophagus will then push food down the digestive tract.
IV:Afterwards, the esophagus will then transport the food into the stomach. Once the food has entered the stomach, mechanical and chemical digestion will help further break down the food. The stomach will mechanically churn the food, and stomach acids will help chemically break down proteins.
V:Next, the the food travels to the small intestines, where water is absorbed, and diffused through the villi.
VI: Lastly, after being diffused through the villi, the waste exit through the cloaca opening |1|.
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/498684/reptile/38474/Digestive-and-urogenital-systems |1|