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 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
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
Reptiles of Australia
Reptiles of Asia
Lizards