AROD > Reptiles / Squamata / Scincidae / Tiliqua /
Common blue-tongued skink |
Logan City, Queensland Photo © Stewart Macdonald |
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Tiliqua scincoides | ||||||||||
Pronunciation | till-EE-kwa | |||||||||
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Etymology |
Tiliqua: thought to be meaningless.
scincoides: 'Scincus-like', after a genus of skinks. |
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Other names |
Blue tongue
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Description | Distribution | Natural history | Conservation | Further information | More photos |
Natural historyPerhaps Australia's best-known lizard, but certainly not the commonest, the Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard is a frequent sight to many Australians on the east coast. These slow moving animals make excellent natural pest controllers, eating many garden pests such as slugs and snails. Active by day, they will inflate themselves, hiss and display their blue tongue if they feel threatened. Their powerful, vice-like jaws can deliver a painful bite. DietOmnivorous, eating soft fruits, berries, carrion, and generally anything slow enough for the animals to catch. A voracious predator of snails and slugs, which it actively pursues, tackles, and devours. |
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Notes and disclaimer
This information may not be complete. While all care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in this page, primary sources should always be consulted for definitive information. Animals have an endearing habit of disobeying the rules, so the information on this page should be interpreted with a degree of flexibility. The author and site operator accepts no responsibility for any losses or damages incurred through using this web site or the information contained herein. Don't get bitten by anything! This page may be cited as: Tiliqua scincoides at the Australian Reptile Online Database. Last updated 2017-02-21 14:01:10. Retrieved from http://arod.com.au/arod/?species=Tiliqua+scincoides on the 29th of March, 2024. Before citing information contained in AROD, please read our Citing AROD page. Copyright notice This page, its content and layout are copyright © 2007-2024 Stewart Macdonald / Ug Media, unless otherwise stated. All photographs in The Australian Reptile Online Database are © the photographer and may not be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the photographer. No part of The Australian Reptile Online Database may be reproduced without written permission from Stewart Macdonald. |