Eastern Blue-tongue Lizard Tiliqua scincoides

Lizards of Victoria series

Identification

The Eastern Blue-tongue, Tiliqua scincoides, is greyish brown, with between 7 and 10 darker bars across the body. It is a large skink, growing to a snout vent length of 290 mm.

Photo of Eastern Blue-tongue, Tiliqua scincoides

Common Blue-Tongue Lizard
Photographer: Peter Robertson / Source: Wildlife Profiles Pty. Ltd.

Distribution and habitat

Although more common on the basalt plains to the west of Melbourne, Common Blue-tongue Lizards are also found on the Mornington Peninsula. They are usually found basking or sheltering under cover such as fallen logs, or discarded rubbish such as timber or iron.

Biology

Their diet consists of both plant and animal material, such as snails. Females give birth to as many as 25 live young in a litter.

Comments (15) popular | oldest | newest

I'd be interested to know if anything is known about the evolutionary history of bluetongues and how more than 1 species have ended up living together in the same localities; e.g. Eastern Bluetongue and Blotched Bluetongue observed living on same patch of ground at Cape Schanck.

reply (3)

i recently caught a blue tongued lizard how can i tell if its a male or female? its name is bob.

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Hi Britt, blue tongues are very difficult to sex – males tend to have a slightly broader head but this is not reliable – there is no easy way to sex them.

Please be aware that you need a permit from Department of Sustainability and Environment to catch a blue tongue, as they are native animals. For details on permits see their website at www.dse.vic.gov.au.

reply (4)

Is their tongue blue because of their chemical make-up just as human's tongues are red because of the iron in the body? My students have asked this question and would love an answer.

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I have found one of these at Castlemaine, Vic. in my large courtyard that is surrounded by 15 ft high stone walls I have often seen a leggless lizard and a frog. The lizard wont eat the frog will it? I love them all'

reply (3)

Hi Anne, Blue tongues are omnivores and will eat a wide range of food – from fruit, veggies and any animals that they can get their mouths around. In a normal situation I would imagine that a frog can jump away far more quickly than a blue tongue lizard can hunt so they should be safe living in your courtyard.

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can a female blue tongue lizard have babies without a male

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My eastern blue tounge is now 520mm long and only 5 months old why is it bigger than it says on this page and it has a small head female or male. If i get a boy is it smaller and fatter than a girl and is it allowed to breed and sell.

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I was told that the dark stripe blue tongue were females & the light stripe were males.

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There has been a large lizard living around our house for about a year. I think its probably a blue tongue, though its markings aren't quite like those shown for either the Eastern or Splotchy, and it is bigger than both too. I live near the Cathedral Range in NE victoria.

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I have a domesticated Eastern Blue Tongue lizard that I now cannot look after, unfortunately. Where is the best place I can take her/him? Would be keen to sell her/him, but would prefer that it definitely goes to a good home.

reply (3)

Hi Justin,
We forwarded your question to Museum Victoria’s Live Exhibits team who provided us with the following information:
There are many internet sites solely dedicated to the sale of reptiles. A quick web search should provide you with plenty to choose from. Most reptile forums also have a for sale section that may be useful. Other places to try are some of the local pet shops that deal in reptiles.
As it is domesticated it should not be released back into the wild.

reply (3)

I have found a couple of these in my back yard. I live very close to Melbourne airport

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Hi, I recently discovered an Eastern Blue Tongue lizard is living in our tool shed, but I am not sure how long it has been there; I have been feeding it snails from my garden. I live in Qld. It refuses to leave the shed, even when I leave the door to the shed open all day; any sugestions re. how to encourage it to vacate the shed for the garden instead? As I can't always leave the shed door open.

Hello Nora,

If the Blue Tongue has been living in the shed for some time, it's fairly certain it is able to get in and out as it pleases, probably through a crack in the base of the shed. Blue Tongue lizards can squeeze through surprisingly small holes. In that case the Blue Tongue won't leave through the open door when it has a more protected means of getting in and out. A shed can be an excellent shelter for Blue Tongues and it is unlikely to leave of its own accord.

If there really is no other means of entry for the lizard, the only way to remove it is to pick it up and place it in the garden. They defend themselves by hissing and other aggressive gestures, but they are harmless if you keep away from the mouth (and even then they are fairly harmless).

If there is another means of entry, the only way to keep it out is to find the entrance and block it, then physically remove the lizard.

But it sounds like an excellent example of peaceful coexistence in a backyard.

(3)

reply (3)

Hi. My daughter has a blue tongue and we have recently built an outdoor compound to house it. It has rocks and shelters and grassy ground cover. I gather from some of the other posts that it should be okay for the lizard to exist outdoor... but it is getting cold at night... Will it survive a Victorian (Geelong) winter? It's been hibernating for the last few weeks. Do we still feed it and how often? Cheers. Mick

Hi Mick- we've posed this to our Live Exhibits team, who have the following reply for you:

Because blue tongue lizards occur naturally in Victoria, they are more than capable of coping with the seasons. During winter when it hibernates (or brumates, as it is sometimes referred to in reptiles), its activity and metabolism is greatly reduced, and it’s designed not to move around or feed during this period. If the lizard does eat, the body can’t digest the food and it may sit in the lizard’s stomach until the weather becomes warm enough to digest it, probably not until Spring, which can cause all sorts of problems. So the best option is to leave the blue tongue alone until it appears of its own volition later in the year

Hope this helps

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Eastern Blue-tongue Lizard Tiliqua scincoides

Lizards of Victoria series

Identification

Distribution and habitat

Biology

Further Reading

Comments (15) popular | oldest | newest

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