Lizard cuckoos are large and powerful species, and mainly take vertebrate prey, especially, as the name implies, lizards.
Feeding: A.sulcatus is a predatory diving beetle which feeds upon small invertebrate and vertebrate prey.
Known vertebrate prey has included small frogs, small snakes, birds, opossums, bats and various rodents.
But its food value is still very high if it is a vertebrate prey, such as a rodent, a bird or a fish.
For example, the false vampire (Vampyrum spectrum), the largest bat in the Americas, eats vertebrate prey including small dove-sized birds.
Generally, most vertebrate prey is in the weight class of several grams per individual.
They will also consume vertebrate prey, including small mammals and other lizards.
However, breeding birds switch mainly to capturing vertebrate prey, which pairs then bring to their nestlings.
At least one species, the Large Slit-Faced Bat, even catches vertebrate prey, such as frogs and small birds.
Its long nose usually makes its jaw quicker and better for catching vertebrate prey.