Comparative diet of two Namib Desert sand lizards (Lacertidae)

The diet of two related Namib Desert sand lizards (Lacertidae) was examined by monthly stomach analyses during 1976 - 77. Meroles cuneirostris, a species of the sandy vegetated interdune valleys, is strictly carnivorous and consumes a wide variety (13 orders) of arthropods, mainly insects. The second species, Aporosausa anchietae, lives in the sparsely vegetated sand dunes, and its diet varies from omnivory to carnivory, depending on geographic location. Grass and Trianthema seeds are an important part of the omnivorous diet, especially during periods of low insect abundance. Differences in the diet of these two Lizards are related to the relative prey abundance in their respective habitats.