Blue-tongued Skink

As the largest species of skink, blue-tongues can reach up to 60 cm (two feet) in length and weigh close to 453 grams (one pound). Slightly less than half of its total length is its tail.

Blue-tongued skinks are native to the forest, scrublands, and deserts of Australia and New Guinea. They live in open areas with plenty of ground cover, including grasses and leaves. They crawl into burrows for shelter and to find food.

Blue-tongued skinks are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and animals. They eat a variety of insects, snails, wildflowers, and leaves.

They are solitary, shy animals that only meet in the spring or winter to breed. They use their tongues to locate prey, find mates, and escape from predators. When threatened, some skinks will pretend to be a snake to try and deter predators, particularly birds.

Blue-tongued skinks are ovoviviparous, which means the eggs hatch inside the female’s body. She will give birth to 10-20 live young approximately 100 days after breeding. Skinks take around three years to fully mature.

Skinks typically live between 15-20 years but there have been captive skinks up to 30 years old.

In the wild, blue-tongued skinks are under threat of birds – including the predatory kookaburra – and large snakes. Dogs and cats will also eat blue-tongued skinks. In addition to predators, some blue-tongued skinks eat cane toads, which poison and kill them. Some skink populations are decreasing due to these toads.