Animal Profiles
Reptiles

Blue-tongued skink

Tiliqua

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Blue-tongued skinks are stocky lizards with conspicuous blue tongues. This account focuses on the eastern blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides).

Eastern blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides), the representative species, being held while showing its tongue in New South Wales, Australia.

Eastern blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides), the representative species, being held while showing its tongue in New South Wales, Australia.

Doug Beckers · CC BY-SA

At a glance

Location
Eastern blue-tongued skinks live in Australia, using woodland, scrub and relatively dry country. Hollow logs and ground debris provide places to hide; this account does not describe every species of Tiliqua.
Diet
Omnivore
Food
These skinks eat both animal and plant foods, including insects and fruit. They forage during the day and shelter near the ground. Females give birth to live young rather than laying eggs outside the body.

Classification

Common name
Blue-tongued skink
Browse group
Reptiles
Scientific name or taxon
Tiliqua
Taxon rank
genus
Family
Scincidae
Genus
Tiliqua
Source classification
Squamata

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • Its tongue is bright blue.
  • It eats both plants and small animals.
  • Females give birth to live young.

Habitat and range

Eastern blue-tongued skinks live in Australia, using woodland, scrub and relatively dry country. Hollow logs and ground debris provide places to hide; this account does not describe every species of Tiliqua.

Appearance and adaptations

A long, cylindrical body rests on short legs. Overlapping scales cover the skin, and dark bands or blotches mark the back. A threatened skink may gape, hiss and expose its blue tongue.

Diet and behaviour

These skinks eat both animal and plant foods, including insects and fruit. They forage during the day and shelter near the ground. Females give birth to live young rather than laying eggs outside the body.

Sources

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