Blue Tongued Skink
Basic Information:
Scientific Name: Tiliqua gigas
Habitat: The blue-tongued skink can be found in the coastal and montane woodlands and forests of Papua New Guinea and Australia’s interior.
Diet: Blue-tongued skinks are omnivores and eat a variety of plants and animals including insects, snails, flowers, fruits, and berries.
Size: 1.5 to 2.5 feet long
Weight: 0.6 to 1.1 pounds
Lifespan: 15 to 20 years in the wild. Up to 30 years in human care.
Distribution Map:
I.U.C.N. Conservation Status:
What does this mean?
Least Concern – a species determined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (I.U.C.N.) to be pervasive, abundant, and thriving.
Our Blue Tongued Skink:
Winston – Estimated Date of Birth Between 1992 & 1998
Did You Know?!
- Blue tongued skinks are a diurnal, ground-dwelling lizard.
- When a predator threatens a blue tongued skink, the lizard puffs up its body to look bigger. At the same time, it opens its mouth and hisses while sticking out its bright blue tongue.
- Unlike most lizards, blue tongued skinks do not walk on their feet. Instead, they slither on their bellies (similar to how snakes move) and use their feet to push themselves along.
- Blue tongue skinks are docile creature, both shy and secretive, and they don’t often stray from their shelters.
- Blue tongued skinks can drop their tails if necessary to escape a predator.