ANIMAL:Eastern Blue-Tongued Skink Tiliqua scincoides
Type of Animal:
Skink
Habitat:
Woodland, grassland, heath country, parks, gardens, forests, deserts, urban/suburban areas, backyards, semi-desert, scrubland, savanna, bushland
Location(s):
E & eastern S Australia
Appearance:
Bold dark bands around eyes, distinct cobalt blue tongue, grey to brown scales w/ barred pattern, pale underside, large narrow head, small legs, short fat tail
Food/Diet:
Insects, snails, worms, flowers, fruit, berries, vegetables, greens, small mammals, insect larvae, melons, leaves, carrion, young ground-nesting birds, frogs, grubs, smaller reptiles
Status in Wild:
Stable
Conservation:
Breeding from zoos & private breeders
Lifestyle:
Solitary
Additional Info:Called:
Male
Female
Young
Group: Solitary
Weight:
Male: 1.08 lbs
Female: 1.375 lbs
Young: 1 oz
Gestation:
3 monthsLife Span:
20 years
Body Length:
Male: 1.03-1.22 ft
Female: 1-1.175 ft
Young: 0.4 ft
Tail Length:
Male: 0.618-0.732 ft
Female: 0.6-0.705 ft
Main predators of adults are dogs, cats, foxes, snakes, predatory birds, dingoes, monitor lizards, & quolls. Young preyed on by variety of reptiles, mammals, & birds.
Sexually mature at 1.5-2 years old.
They are ovoviviparous, giving birth to 5-25 live young.
Mating very aggressive, w/ male biting female often causing scale damage & light bleeding.
Males often fight to the death during breeding season.
They spend all their time on the ground.
They’re active during the day (diurnal).
They tend to be slow-moving animals.
Like most lizards, they shed their skin in pieces.
Beneficial since they eat lots of invertebrates.
Sometimes accidentally killed by lawn mowers.
Overlapping scales help keep out debris.
Shed every 6 weeks.
Often killed due to head resemblance to highly venomous death adder.
In cooler temps, they stay inactive.
Thick muscular tail helps propel them through soil.
Fun Fact(s):
Make great pets due to docile temperament.
Can shed tail to escape predators & then regrow it.
When threatened, they puff up body, stick out signature blue tongue, & hiss. If this doesn’t work, they will bite hard (even though they don’t have well-defined teeth).
Ingests stones to help digest food.
Once rumored to be poisonous/venomous due to blue tongue.
