Are blue tongue lizards native to Australia?
The Blue Tongued lizard is a well-known Australian native animal. They are easily recognised by their bright blue tongue which in nature is a warning to predators to stay away.
How many blue tongue lizards are there in Australia?
There are six species of blue-tongued lizards or skinks in Australia.
Where do blue-tongues live in Australia?
Blue-tongues can be found in virtually all habitats across Australia. In Victoria, they inhabit a wide variety of ecosystems from coastal heathland, lowlands and mountain forests to interior plains. They are also common in urban areas, and unfortunately are often injured by people using shovels to dig in their garden.
Where did the blue tongue lizard come from?
An animal park on the NSW Central Coast has had a rare and exciting new member added to their scaly family: a Blue Tongue with two heads. Lucky – as staff at the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby have affectionately named him – is a juvenile Eastern Blue-Tongue lizard, was brought in by a member of the public.
What kind of animal is a blue tongue skink?
A Northern Blue-tongue Skink (Tiliqua scincoides). Common Blue-tongues from the north of their range are larger and have different body pattern than in the east. Blue-tongues eat a wide variety of both plants and animals. Blue-tongues are not very agile and the animals they eat are mostly slow-moving.
What happens if you bite a blue tongue lizard?
A bite from an adult blue-tongue can cause pain, break the skin and leave a bruise but there is no venom and hence no long-term ill effect. However the bite site should be cleaned with a mild disinfectant, as with any animal bite.
How big are blue tongues when they are born?
The young are ready to look after themselves straight after birth, and disperse within a few days. Of all the blue-tongues, the Eastern Blue-tongue has the largest litters and the smallest young; up to 19 (but usually about 10) young are born, each measuring 130-140 mm in total length and weighing 10-20 g.
What kind of lizard has a big blue tongue?
Blue-tongued skink. They are commonly called blue-tongued lizards or simply blue-tongues or blueys in Australia. As suggested by these common names, a prominent characteristic of the genus is a large blue tongue that can be bared as a bluff-warning to potential enemies. Blue-tongued skinks are also bred in captivity and sold as house pets.
Where does the blue tongue skink live in Australia?
In the Sydney region, the Eastern Blue-tongue occurs on the coastal plain and in the lower Blue Mountains. A Northern Blue-tongue Skink (Tiliqua scincoides). Common Blue-tongues from the north of their range are larger and have different body pattern than in the east.
Where to find blotched blue tongue in NSW?
Within NSW the Blotched Blue-tongue (Tiliqua nigrolutea) is mainly found at high altitude and in the far south. Image: Stephen Mahony
The young are ready to look after themselves straight after birth, and disperse within a few days. Of all the blue-tongues, the Eastern Blue-tongue has the largest litters and the smallest young; up to 19 (but usually about 10) young are born, each measuring 130-140 mm in total length and weighing 10-20 g.
