Blue-tongued Lizard

Blue-tongued Lizard

1. All blue-tongue skinks tend to have a heavy build with small legs and toes. They also exhibit the typical
triangular blunt head of most skins. All species get their name from a bright blue tongue in their pink or red
mouths.

2. Common  Blue-tongued  Lizards  are  named  after their bright blue fleshy tongue, which contrasts with their pink mouths.

3. They  use  their  tongue  as  a  defence  tool  to  scare off  predators.  When  Common  Blue-tongued Lizards  feel  threatened  they  stick out  their  tongue to  frighten predators. They are also known  to hiss when threatened.

4. Common Blue-tongues are not venomous, but may try to bite if handled.

5. Blue-tongued Lizards can grow up to 60cm in length.

6. They  have  silvery  grey  to  brown  smooth  scales, with distinct  dark  strips  running  across  their  body and tail. Their underbelly is usually light grey.

7. Common  Blue-tongued  Lizards  have  a  broad triangular head that is wider than the neck.

8. Their eyes are reddish-brown to grey and there is a broad  black  strip  that  runs  from  the  eye  to  their neck.

9. They feed on a variety of insects, beetles, snails, wildflowers, native fruits and berries.

10. Common Blue-tongued Lizards don’t  just  smell by using their nose. They also have an organ, called a
‘Jacobson’s  Organ’,  on  the  roof  of  their  mouth, which they use to sense chemicals that are emitted
by  their  prey  (e.g.  insects). Blue-tongues  use  this organ to detect prey.

11. Common Blue-tongues  have  strong  teeth  and  jaw muscles  so  they  can  crush  their  food  they  can
even crush through the shell of a snail.

12. Common  Blue-tongued  Lizards  can  be  found  in virtually  all  habitats  across  Australia.

13. Like  all  lizards,  Common  Blue-tongues  cannot maintain a constant body temperature without help from  the  sun. This means  that  they  use  the  sun’s heat to maintain their body temperature.

14. Females give birth  to as many as  25  live  young (but  usually  10)  in  a  litter,  which  are  born between December and January.

15.. Blue tongued skinks are terrestrial  lizards from Australasia and Indonesia. The numerous different species are found variously in open woodland, forest-field margins and semi-desert habitats.