Lizard Feeding Habits Highlight Potential Health Risks
Researchers found rainbow lizards favor cheese pizza, a reminder of the pathogens these reptiles can carry.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Nutrition
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Researchers in Togo observed rainbow lizards favoring four-cheese pizza over other options in a 2023 study that earned a 2025 Ig Nobel Prize. The findings highlight the opportunistic feeding habits of these reptiles, which commonly carry bacteria like Salmonella in their digestive systems.
Why it matters
While the behavior is a curious dietary observation, the study serves as a reminder that reptiles often carry pathogens like Salmonella enterica serotype Agama. Understanding these habits helps clarify how human contact with reptiles—or their habitats—can lead to infections.
In a 2023 field study, researchers placed plates of four-cheese and four-seasons pizza 10 meters apart, observing that lizards consistently rushed the four-cheese option within 15 minutes. It remains unknown if specific chemical cues or caloric density drive this preference.
The players
Ig Nobel Prize
An award ceremony that honors unusual or trivial scientific research to spark interest in science.
The details
Researchers suspect that specific chemical cues or fat content in the four-cheese pizza make it more attractive or easier to digest for the lizards compared to the four-seasons variety. Because reptiles, including the rainbow lizard, frequently harbor Salmonella in their digestive tracts, they can be a vector for bacteria. Human exposure to these strains, such as Salmonella Agama, is well-documented and can result in self-limiting infections.
Timeline
1956: Salmonella Agama was first identified in Nigerian lizard droppings.
2023: The pizza-eating study was published in the African Journal of Ecology.
September 18, 2025: The Ig Nobel Prize in Nutrition was presented at Boston University.
Health Landscape
This study follows a long-documented trend of tracking zoonotic pathogen transmission from reptiles to humans, similar to findings in the 2003 CDC report on reptile germs. It underscores the importance of maintaining hygiene when interacting with wildlife to prevent exposure to bacteria like Salmonella.
Because reptiles often carry Salmonella, the best way to manage risk is to practice thorough handwashing after any contact with lizards or their environment. If you suspect an infection following interaction with reptiles, contact your primary care physician to discuss testing and symptoms.
The takeaway
Lizards may show surprising dietary preferences, but they remain a potential source of Salmonella bacteria regardless of what they eat. Always wash your hands thoroughly after being near reptiles or their habitats to reduce your risk of bacterial infection.
Further reading
Learn more about food safety and zoonotic health risks on our Nutrition page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Medical Daily.
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