Fun Eastern Blue Tongued Lizard Facts For Kids

Eastern blue tongued lizards, Scincoides, are subspecies of the large blue tongued skinks, indigenous to Australia. They can be known as eastern blue tongued skinks as well. Their common name originates from their characteristic bright blue tongue! These unique skinks have a scale covered thick body possessing a wide head, short legs, and short tail. They have overlapping scales which help in keeping dirt off their body. They have light grey or tan colored scales. The eastern blue tongued lizards are also known as blue tongued lizards, blue tongued skinks, and the common bluetongue. The blue tongued lizards are the largest skinks in Australia whose length ranges between 17.7-23.6 in (45-60 cm) and weight ranges between 10-18 oz (283.4-510.2 g)! Their Australian habitat comprises scrubland, woodland, and semi desert regions. The eastern blue tongue lizard is an omnivorous reptile whose diet consists of plants and insects mainly comprising snails, worms, fruits, flowers, and berries. The adult eastern blue tongued skink sheds its light grey or tan colored scales every six weeks. These intriguing creatures do not lay eggs, instead, they give birth. These lizards give birth to live young, about 6-20 offspring. The conservation status of these unique creatures is Least Concern as per the IUCN's Red List. Keep reading to get to know more about these mesmerizing species!

if you enjoyed reading about the blue tongued lizard, then you will have definitely have fun reading our Asian vine snake surprising facts and smooth green snake fun facts!

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What type of animal is an eastern blue tongued lizard?

The eastern blue tongued skink of Australia is a skink. It is a unique member of the huge Scincidae family, genus Tiliqua, and the order Squamata. It is a subspecies of the blue tongued skink. There is no difference between a blue tongue lizard and a blue tongue skink, as both are the common names of the Scincoides species.

What class of animal does an eastern blue tongued lizard belong to?

The eastern blue tongued skink belongs to the class Reptilia and the phylum Chordata. All the Tiliqua genus species have a blue tongue!

How many eastern blue tongued lizards are there in the world?

There are about 5500 lizards of this species in the wild. This lizard species is not endangered.

Where does an eastern blue tongued lizard live?

These eastern blue tongued skinks are indigenous to Australia. They can be spotted in the country's coastlines, from Southern Australia all the way to Queensland, Victoria, Australian Capital Territory, and New South Wales, west to Cobar, lower blue mountains, and New Guinea.

What is an eastern blue tongued lizard's habitat?

The Australian blue tongue lizard habitat consists of coastal plains, shrublands, grasslands, woodland,  desserts, and forests. Due to urbanization, they can also be spotted in the suburban backyards. During the nighttime, they reside under logs, rocks, or leaf litter. The skinks are cold blooded reptiles, thus they come out to bask in the sunlight. During winters, when the temperature drops, they will take shelter in a burrow until summer.

Who do eastern blue tongued lizards live with?

The eastern blue tongued skinks are solitary lizards who prefer to live on their own. The only known interactions they have with each other are about mates or fighting over potential mates.

How long does an eastern blue tongued lizard live?

The eastern blue tongued skink can live up to 20 years as a pet in captivity and 30 years in the wild.

How do they reproduce?

The breeding season of the eastern blue tongued skink starts in winters (December) and goes on till summers (April). Male lizards are highly territorial and defend their own very aggressively. Courtship rituals include the male running behind the female skink and biting her on her neck. After mating, eastern blue tongued female skinks give birth to live young, which is odd for reptiles. Their gestation period is 100 days long, with 6-20 young being born. The young develop attached to a distinct embryo. This embryo has almost the same development level as that of mammals. The small sized juveniles consume their placental membrane after birth. The baby skinks reach sexual maturity at the age of three years.

What is their conservation status?

The conservation status of this Australian species is Least Concern as per the IUCN's Red List. Their major predators are birds of prey and snakes. Cats and dogs can also hunt these skinks. Their numbers are also influenced by human activities. These blue tongued skinks are kept in captivity as pets, thus reducing their population in the wild. These skinks can also get poisoned by snail baits as they consume slugs and snails. As these reptiles are attracted to warm surfaces, they may crawl to black tar roads which heat up rapidly causing these skinks to die.

What do eastern blue tongued lizards look like?

Eastern Blue-tongued skinks have brown, black, or gray colored stripes across their back. Most of these stripes possess black edges. Characteristic black stripes run through each eye's corner through the head. As their name suggests, they possess a bright blue tongue which is used to intimidate predators. They have short limbs and a short tail. They have overlapping scales all over their body that prevent debris and dirt from getting stuck.

How cute are they?

The eastern blue tongued skink, Tiliqua scincoides, looks cute when they stick out their bright blue tongue. The juvenile blue tongue skink is also quite adorable as it looks like a mini adult.

How do they communicate?

The Tiliqua scincoides skink species communicate through body language, just like all other lizard species. They are notorious for sticking out their tongues as a part of their defense mechanism.

How big is an eastern blue tongued Lizard?

The blue tongue lizard size is medium. The length of this animal ranges between 17.7-23.6 in (45-60 cm). They can be four to six times larger than the common garden skink!

How fast can an eastern blue tongued lizard move?

The Tiliqua scincoides skink species has medium length and short limbs, but can move at an impressive speed of 64 mph (102.9 kph)!

How much does an eastern blue tongued lizard weigh?

This animal weighs in the range of 10-18 oz (283.4-510.2 g) and has an average weight of 14 oz (396.8 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

This animal has not been given a specific name as per its sex.

What would you call a baby eastern blue tongued lizard?

The babies of these reptiles are referred to as young or juveniles.

What do they eat?

Their diet comprises plants and insects mainly comprising snails, worms, fruits, flowers, and berries. These lizards eat snakelets and are ironically preyed upon by snakes. They are also preyed upon by birds of prey, cats, and dogs. To defend themselves, they open their mouth wide open and stick out their bright blue tongue. They are also known to flatten their body and hiss. They can also drop their tail if they feel scared. The tail grows back in six months, however, it will be shorter!

Are they poisonous?

No, this species does not possess any venom!

Would they make a good pet?

The Tiliqua scincoides skink is a curious and smart pet who has a docile, timid, and gentle nature. They can become wonderful pets for reptile lovers. These intriguing reptiles can be trained too!

Did you know...

This skink is diurnal in nature, meaning that it is active throughout the daytime.

These fascinating blue tongue creatures possess a third eye! It is a tiny hole that aids them in regulating the temperature of their body!

What happens if a blue tongue lizard bites you?

It is not a dangerous creature and cannot kill a person, however, the blue-tongue lizard bite can be painful as these creatures do not let go easily. Their bite, however, can cause a bruise, and not a cut.

Are eastern blue tongued lizards slimy?

No, these species are not slimy. They have wet and smooth scales all over their body. Salamanders have slimy skin as they breathe through their skin!

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these Burmese python facts or western diamondback rattlesnake facts pages!

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable eastern blue tongued lizard coloring pages!