Animal Spot Blue-Tongued Skink

The Blue-tongued Skink refers to a family of reptiles comprising the Australasian genus ***‘Tiliqua’,*** which in turn contains a few of the largest members of the family of ***‘Skink’.***

They have a characteristic blue tongue and are mainly the inhabitants of Australia, where they are widely popular as house pets.

There they are also known as ***‘blue-tongued lizards’*** or just ***‘blue-tongues’.***

### **Scientific Classification:**

 **Genus:** Tiliqua.

## **Facts and Physical Description:**

**Size/Length:** Adults vary between 12 and 24 inches, or 1 – 2 feet.

**Weight:** 10-18 ounces, or 283-510 grams (average).

**Skin:** Smooth and glossy skin with horizontal stripes usually in yellow/orange alternating with black/brown.

They shed their skin.

**Head:** Large, broad, blunt and triangular, flattened at the top.

**Feet:** Feet are very small compared to the size of its head and body.

**Eyes:** Round and red bead-like eyes with a black eyeball.

**Tail:** Thick long tail, gradually narrowing at the tip.

**Lifespan:** Up to 20 years.

**Gestation period:** 100 days.

**Locomotion:** Very slow.

**Litter size:** Up to 25 babies at a time.

## **Distribution:**

Blue-tongued skinks are spread across the mainland Australia.

Few subspecies are also found in parts of Tasmania, New Guinea, and some Indonesian islands.

## **Habitat: Where do Blue-tongued Skinks live:**

They are spread mainly across the humid areas since these reptiles need moisture.
They are found in open woodlands, grasslands, rainforests, at the margins of forest and field, and semi-deserts.

Some are, however, found in the desert regions and are adapted to a harsh lifestyle.

## **Classification of Species:**

* ***Tiliqua adelaidensis*,** Adelaide pigmy blue-tongue skink.
* ***Tiliqua gigas*,** Indonesian blue-tongued skink.
* ***T.***

***G.***

***Evanescens,*** Merauke blue-tongued skink.

* ***T.***

***G.***

***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, (also known as the bobtail, stump-tailed skink, stumpy-tail, sleepy lizard, pinecone lizard, or boggi).
* *T.*

*R.*

*Aspera*, eastern shingleback

* *T.*
* *R.*

*Konowi*, Rottnest Island shingleback.

* *T.*

*R.*

*Palarra*, Shark Bay shingleback.

* *T.*

*R.*

*Rugosa*, common shingleback.

* *Tiliqua scincoides*, Australian blue-tongued skink.
* *T.*

*S.*

*Chimaerea*, Tanimbar blue-tongued skink.

* *T.*

*S.*

*Intermedia*, northern blue-tongued skink.

* *T.*

*S.*

*Scincoides*, eastern blue-tongued skink.
This Australian lizard is a gentle-natured, solitary, shy reptile that would spend its day basking and eating.
They are mostly diurnal (active during day time).

At night, they rest taking shelter in the wild.

They spend most of the time during winter months inside holes and burrows and would only come out for basking in the sun.

However, if they feel threatened, they would turn back at the threat and try to scare it off opening their big mouth and sticking out the tongue.

It would also puff up its body and hiss.

If mishandled or even attacked by the tail, some species of the blue-tongued skinks have the ability to break or pull off their tails on their own as a defence mechanism (though not as quickly as the geckos or the other skink species).

A new tail emerges out from its place, but will not look like the original.

However, some species of blue-tongued skinks (like the t*iliqua rugosa*) do not have the ability to drop their tails at all.

**Diet: What Do Blue-tongued Skinks Eat**