Blue-tongued skink

*Blue tongue lizard redirects here.*

**Blue-tongued skinks** make up the Australasian genus, ***Tiliqua***, which has some of the largest members of the skink family (Scincidae). They are also called **blue-tongued lizards** or simply **blue-tongues**, **shinglebacks** or the **sleepy lizard** in Australia. The main feature of the genus is a large blue tongue that can be used to scare away enemies.

## Distribution
Blue-tongued skinks are closely related to the genera *Cyclodomorphus* and *Hemisphaeriodon*. All species are found on mainland Australia except *Tiliqua gigas* which lives in New Guinea and various islands of Indonesia. One subspecies of *Tiliqua scincoides* is also found on several small Indonesian islands between Australia and New Guinea. *Tiliqua nigrolutea* is the only species in Tasmania. With the exception of the pygmy blue-tongue, they are large lizards which can grow up to 45&nbsp;cm total length. They are light-bodied, short-limbed, broad with a distinct head and dull teeth.

## Ecology
Most species are diurnal ground-foraging omnivores, feeding on insects, gastropods, flowers, fruits and berries. The pygmy blue-tongue however mainly eats arthropods. The skinks give birth to live young. The litter sizes ranging from 1–4 in the pygmy blue-tongue and shingleback to 5–24 in the eastern and northern blue-tongues.

## Species and subspecies
**Tiliqua adelaidensis*, (Adelaide) Pygmy Blue-tongued Skink
**Tiliqua gigas*, Indonesian Blue-tongued Skink
***Tiliqua gigas evanescens*, Merakue Blue-tongued Skink
***Tiliqua gigas keyensis*, Key Island Blue-tongued Skink
**Tiliqua* sp., Irian Jaya Blue-tongued Skink
**Tiliqua multifasciata*, Centralian Blue-tongued Skink
**Tiliqua nigrolutea*, Blotched Blue-tongued Skink
**Tiliqua occipitalis*, Western Blue-tongued Skink
**Tiliqua rugosa*, Shingleback (or Sleepy Lizard)
***Tiliqua rugosa rugosa*, Common Shingleback
***Tiliqua rugosa aspera*, Eastern Shingleback
***Tiliqua rugosa palarra*, Shark Bay Shingleback
***Tiliqua rugosa konowi*, Rottnest Island Shingleback
**Tiliqua scincoides*, Australian Blue-tongued Skink
***Tiliqua scincoides scincoides*, Eastern Blue-tongued Skink
***Tiliqua scincoides intermedia*, Northern Blue-tongued Skink
***Tiliqua scincoides chimaerea*, Tanimbar Blue-tongued Skink

Image:Tiliqua occipitalis.jpg|Western Blue-tongued Lizard
Image:Tiliqua multifasciata.jpg|Centralian Blue-tongued Lizard from the Tanami Desert
Image:Btlizard wiki.jpg|Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard in metropolitan Sydney.
Image:BlueTonguedLizard_2005_SeanMcClean.jpg|Stump-tailed skink, *Tiliqua rugosa*
File:BTS-drinking-water.jpg|Drinking water

## Notes
## References
*  (2006): Using ancient and recent DNA to explore relationships of extinct and endangered *Leiolopisma* skinks (Reptilia: Scincidae) in the Mascarene islands. *Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution* **39**(2): 503–511.  (HTML abstract)
*  (1988): Mate fidelity in an Australian lizard *Trachydosaurus rugosus* (Scincidae). *Copeia* **1987**(3): 749-757.
*  (1990): Comparison of displaced and retained partners in a monogamous lizard *Tiliqua rugosa*. *Australian Wildlife Research* **17**: 135-140.
*  (1996): A prey record of the Eastern Blue-tongue *Tiliqua scincoides* for the common brown snake *Pseudonaja textilis*. *Monitor * **8**(3): 155.

## Other websites
* Bluetongue fact file
* Blue-tongued Lizards in New South Wales
* Operation Bluetongue - Citizen Science study project  at UniSA 
* Site devoted exclusively to blue-tongued skinks