Tiliqua scincoides

Other Names: Eastern Blue-tongue Lizard, Northern Blue-tongue Lizard

Size: 30-32 cm

Family: Scincidae (Skink family)

Distribution: Eastern and Northern regions of Australia.

Status: There's lots of them around.

Habitat: Virtually all habitats except for alpine regions and closed rainforest.

References: Wilson and Swan.

About the Common Blue-tongue Lizard

As their name suggests, these have a blue coloured tongue. Wikipedia says they have a habit of hissing and sticking out their tongue when disturbed, but I've never seen one do that, they usually either run away or just sit there calmly. I've never seen one stick out its tongue at a cat either, though presumably there are some less formidable animals that might be frightened by that kind of display of aggression from a blue tongue.

Many years ago, shortly after a girlfriend of 8 years had moved out, and I was living alone, a blue-tongue lizard walked right on in through my front door (which was open at the time). It went straight into what was her bedroom, climbed up onto the bed, and sat (or perhaps slept) there for a few hours. After that, it went back outside, the way it came in. And I never noticed it again. I really have no idea what the message for me was in that blue-tonuge-lizard-encounter-incident, but there must surely be one.

Photo from a backyard in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Higher Resolution 2612 x 1741.

Photo from a backyard in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Higher Resolution 2657 x 1771.

Photo from a backyard in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Higher Resolution 2598 x 1732.

Photo from a backyard in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Higher Resolution 2759 x 1839.

Photo from a backyard in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Higher Resolution 3623 x 2415.

See Also

Australian Mammals
Australian Birds
Australian Frogs
Australian Fish
Australian Spiders and Their Faces
Australian Wild Plant Foods

Return to Australian Reptiles