Blue-Tongued Skink
(Tiliqua scincoides)
Order: Squamata
Family: Scincidae
Genus: Tiliqua
Species: scincoides
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HABITAT AND RANGE:
The Blue-Tongued Skink is native to
Australia, but found also in New Guinea
and Tasmania. They inhabit in old logs
or ground debris in semi-desert, mixed
woodlands and scrubland habitats. |
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PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
The Eastern Blue-tongued Skink is
characterized by its long fat blue
tongue which is used for self defense.
The skin is relatively smooth, covered
by overlapping scales with a fish-like
appearance. Coloration of the body is
that of a grayish ventral side, and the
head is a pale brown with the dorsal
side having alternating streaks or
blotches of dark brown and cream.
Juveniles can possess a wider variety of
coloration which helps them in becoming
cryptic, but it will be lost as the
juvenile reaches maturity. The body is
considered to be robust and cylindrical
with relatively short legs. |
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ADAPTATIONS:
An interesting behavior of the
Blue-tongued Skink is his defense
mechanism, his blue tongue. When
disturbed, it opens its mouth and sticks
out its blue tongue, puffs up its body
and hisses loudly. He puffs his body up
to make himself look bigger and uses
sticks his blue tongue out to make him
look poisonous. Another trait of the
Blue-Tongued Skink is the ability to
lose its tail and then regenerate it. |
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DIET:
The Blue-Tongued Skink is omnivorous,
eating insects, small lizards or
amphibians, fruit and plants. |
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REPRODUCTION AND DEVELOPMENT:
The Blue-tongued Skink is ovoviviparous,
which means the offspring develop in
eggs which are not laid and stay in the
mother’s body for further development;
then they will lay live young. The
clutch of the Blue-tongued Skink ranges
about 10 to 15 young. They can live
between 15 and 20 years in captivity. |
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STATUS IN WILD:
Unknown- However, Australia prohibits
commercial exportation of most wildlife. |
