Western, Central & Northern Bluetongue lizards

photographed at Perth Zoo

The Western Blue-tongued lizard is slender with a long slender tail and smooth scales.

From snout to vent it measures approx 270mm.
It favours open sandy areas with mallee and hummock grass and heathlands. Usually it shelters in hollow burrows beneath vegetation to cover the entrance.

Mating occurs in spring. Gestation is approx 100days with litters of 4-10 live young are born in summer. The babies are smaller versions of their parents and fend for themselves from birth. Like all reptiles they will shed their skin as they grow. They do not shed in one whole piece but in large pieces.

These skinks can even be black as seen here in this photograph taken by Mary Heslan at Torrindup National Park in the southwest. They were seen on the way to the rock bridge where these skinks were all over the walkway, on the rocks and in Albany town. "We went down to the camping ground on the beach and then along a walkway around the cliffs and every few feet you could hear them scuttling away."

This is the back foot, when you place your mouse over the picture you are seeing the front foot.

This skink has a very short body and short tail with smooth scales.

This unlucky Centralian skink on the left had lasted through the dry season for around 10months only to be run over on the road while drinking from the long awaited puddle, south of Marble Bar in eastern Pilbara. It was seen in December.

This Centralian Blue-tongue was seen on the Tanami Track near Rabbit Flats in August. See how its flattened its body out to make itself look bigger. Go Here to see our video of this gorgeous skink.

This Centralian was seen on the Great Northern Highway 400km north of Port Hedland in August. We stopped and picked up several blue-tongues off the road heading south.

What do they eat?

Beetles, bugs, grasshoppers (especially after it has rained), soft plants and carrion.

These were common grasshoppers in the Nullagine eastern Pilbara region.

This skink was photographed at Perth Zoo.
Come back soon to see our video of this large skink eating its greens at the Zoo.

Centralian Blue-tongued skinks are approx 250mm long from snout to vent.

They live in semi-arid to arid red sand plains, dunes or stony hills with hummock grass. They live in the grasses, animal burrows or under stones. On warm nights they can be nocturnal.

Mating is in spring. 4-10 live young are born in summer. The young can vary greatly in size.

These are the tracks of the Centralian Blue-tongue photographed at the Alice Springs Desert Park in the NT.

Northern Blue-tongued Lizard

Tiliqua scincoides intermedis and scincoides intermedia

The Northern blue-tongue is one of the largest skinks in the world at 300mm-320mm in length.

Large and robust long thick tail and smooth scales.

Photographed at Perth Zoo

Found in the Kimberley in the far north of Western Australia

What do they eat?

I haven't been able to find what these northern Blue-tongues eat.

http://members.iinet.net.au/~foconnor/reptiles/species/tiliqua_multifasciata.htm
http://www.kingsnake.com/oz/lizards/skinks/tsintermed.htm
http://www.coolcompanions.com.au/factsheets/centralblue.html

Text;
"Reptiles and Frogs of the Perth Region" by Brian Bush, Brad Maryan, Robert Browne-Cooper and David Robinson.
"Australian Reptiles A Photographic Reference to the Terrestrial Reptiles of Australia" by Stephen K Wilson, David G Knowles.
CD Rom "Australian Reptiles and Frogs" by Herald Ehnann and Micheal Tyler