- Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard
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Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard Immature Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Suborder: Sauria Family: Scincidae Genus: Tiliqua Species: T. scincoides Subspecies: T. s. scincoides Trinomial name Tiliqua scincoides scincoides
(White, 1790)[1]The Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard (Tiliqua scincoides scincoides) is a subspecies of large skink which is common throughout Eastern Australia, often found in bushland and suburban areas where conditions are suitable. They are known as blue-tongues because their tongue ranges from bright to dark blue, and they have a habit of displaying it prominently and hissing loudly when disturbed.
Adult, colour variation, Lakes Entrance, Victoria (Australia)The Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard is a stout and slow lizard that grows up to 30-60 cm in length, with brown to grey scales and a barred pattern across the body and tail. The underside is usually pale. Blue-tongued Lizards are popular as pets and can live for up to 30 years in captivity. They give birth to live young, between six to a record twenty per litter. The young consume the egg sac immediately after birth. They resemble the adult form closely. There are several other types of blue-tongued lizard, genus Tiliqua, such as the Northern Blue-tongued Skink and the shingleback or stump-tailed skink.
This subspecies was first described as Lacerta scincoides, by John White, in Journal of a Voyage to New South Wales, 1790.[1]
References
External links
- BlueTongueSkinks.net
- Blue-tongued Skink, Honolulu Zoo
- Blue-tongued Skinks, Melissa Kaplan's Herp Care Collection
- Tiliqua scincoides , James Cook University
Categories:- Skinks
- Reptiles of Australia
- Pet lizards
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