page_title: Tiliqua rugosa
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Tiliqua rugosa / Description
caption_attribution_description: The species Tiliqua rugosa, photographed at Big Grove, Albany, displaying a threat response. The photographer, who is usually happy to let other organisms go about their business, deliberately prompted this display.
context_page_description: Tiliqua rugosa is a short-tailed, slow-moving species of blue-tongued skink found in Australia. Three of the four recognised subspecies are found only in Western Australia, where they are known collectively by the common name bobtail. The name shingleback is also used, especially for T. rugosa asper, the only subspecies native to eastern Australia.
  Apart from bobtail and shingleback, a variety of other common names are used in different states, including stump-tailed skink, bogeye or boggi, pinecone lizard and sleepy lizard. Aboriginal names include Yoorn in the Nyungar language.
  Tiliqua rugosa has a heavily armoured body and can be found in various colours, ranging from dark brown to cream. It has a short, wide, stumpy tail that resembles its head and may confuse predators. The tail also contains fat reserves, which are drawn upon during brumation in winter. This skink is an omnivore; it eats snails and plants and spends much of its time browsing through vegetation for food. It is often seen sunning on roadsides or other paved areas.
context_section_description: Tiliqua rugosa has a heavily armoured body and can be found in various colours, ranging from dark brown to cream.  Its snout–vent length varies from 260 to 310 mm (10 to 12 in), but it is a very heavy-bodied lizard for its length.
  It has a triangular head and a bright blue tongue.  Its short, stumpy tail is similar in shape to its head.  This possibly evolved as a defence mechanism against predators, and has led to the common name of "two-headed skink".  Its short tail also contains fat reserves, which the lizard lives upon during brumation in winter. Unlike many skinks, shinglebacks do not exhibit autotomy and cannot shed their tails.
  Individuals are known to live for 50 years in the wild.
caption: Threat display
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