| 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.
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]