Northern blue-tongued skink

This species has a broad, flat body, short limbs and tail, and smooth, overlapping scales that help to keep out dirt and debris. Its coloration is usually dark brown on top with pale cross band markings across the back.  

Northern blue-tongued skinks spend much of the day searching the ground for food and basking in the sun. At night they seek shelter in logs, leaf litter or other ground cover. Although normally shy and docile, they can stand their ground and present a formidable appearance when disturbed. The skink may puff up its body, thrust out a startling blue tongue, and emit a loud hiss. Males also performs this impressive display when confronted by a rival. 

Despite having small teeth, blue-tongued skinks are capable of delivering a powerful and painful bite. They can also make a hasty retreat, and will shed their tails if grabbed from the rear by a predator. The lost portion of the tail will eventually grow back.  

The northern blue-tongued skink is one of the largest of the blue-tongued skinks. Adults can reach a snout-to-tail length of up to 22 inches (56 cm), and average about 17 inches (45 cm). They typically weigh about 10 to 18 ounces (283 to 510 g).  

Two subspecies of the common blue-tongued skink live in Australia: eastern blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides scincoides) and northern blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides intermedia). The eastern blue-tongued skink is native to southeastern South Australia through Victoria, to eastern New South Wales and throughout most of Queensland. The northern blue-tongued skink, the subspecies that can be seen at the Reptile Discovery Center, ranges from Queensland to northwestern Western Australia. 

Common blue-tonged skinks can be found in a wide variety of habitats, from coastal moors, forests and woodlands to montane forests and the grasslands of the less arid interior. They are also frequently found in gardens and backyards of suburban Australia.  

Blue-tongued skinks can live for about 15 years in human care.  

Blue-tongued skinks are omnivorous, eating insects, snails, carrion, fruit, berries, flowers and leaves. Fat is stored in the tail to nourish the lizard during periods of drought. 

At the Zoo, they are offered a varied diet that includes leafy greens, vegetables, insects such as crickets, and earthworms. 

About half of all skink species lay eggs; the others give birth to live young. The majority of those that bear live young carry eggs internally, which are hatched just before the young leave their mother’s body. Blue-tongued skinks carry membrane-enclosed egg sacs internally that lack shells. These eggs rupture and hatch as the sacs are expelled from the mother’s body. Blue-tongued skinks have a more elaborate placenta-like structure, which supplies the developing embryos with oxygen and carries away carbon dioxide. The embryos of all reptiles derive their sustenance from the yolks of their eggs or sacs, whether they are born live or hatch from eggs.  

Females typically give birth to six to 12 live young, but they can produce litters of up to 25 young. Births occur in the middle of the Australian summer (around January). After birth, newborns break through their membranes and often consume them. Newly hatched young average 5 inches (13 cm) in length and weigh about .5 ounce (14 g). If they can find enough to eat, they grow very quickly; babies reach adult size in less than one year.  

The common blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides) is classified as Least Concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the northern subspecies has not been separately assessed. Blue-tongued skinks are one of the most popular pet lizards in Australia. Populations are generally stable, though local threats include habitat loss and predation by introduced species, such as feral cats and foxes. Blue-tongued skinks are also popular in the pet trade.