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Blue-tongued skink

Blue-tongued skinks are the Tiliqua lizards of Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia, named for the broad cobalt tongue they display, gaping, when threatened — a bluff against birds and predators.

Several species are kept, the northern from Australia being the most common.

They are long-bodied and short-legged, reaching 45 to 60 centimetres, and live fifteen to twenty years or more. They are omnivorous, ground-dwelling, slow-moving and, among lizards, exceptionally tolerant of handling — a well-socialised blue-tongue will sit contentedly on a lap, which is why they are recommended so widely to people who want a lizard they can interact with.

Origin
Australia, New Guinea and Indonesia
Adult size
45–60 cm
Lifespan
15–20+ years
Basking temperature
35–38°C surface, 24–26°C cool end
UVB
Required — a linear tube over the basking area
Diet
Omnivore — roughly half greens and vegetables, half protein

5 blue-tongued skink photos, newest first

  • Bruce, a blue tongued skink

    Bruce

    Bruce climbs onto the warm bark for the last of the sun and stays until it has gone.

    FrostyOtter · 6 days ago

  • Tansy VI, a blue tongued skink

    Tansy VI

    Tansy VI tasted the chessboard rather than playing it. There is a sailing ship in the teacup and she is the one who put it there.

    FrostyOtter · 1 week ago

  • Bergamot IV, a blue tongued skink

    Bergamot IV

    Bergamot IV excavating the tiles with a spoon and a rake, tongue fully out. The chair is up on the balloons again.

    FrostyOtter · 1 week ago

  • Tansy VI, a blue tongued skink

    Tansy VI

    Tansy VI pretending the mud was not their idea.

    MerryBadger · 2 weeks ago

  • Bergamot IV, a blue tongued skink

    Bergamot IV

    Bergamot IV pretending the mud was not their idea.

    SunnyHeron · 2 weeks ago

Living with a blue-tongued skink

Floor space, not height. An adult needs at least 1.2 × 0.6 metres, and these are heavy-bodied ground animals that do not climb; a tall vivarium wastes the volume they cannot use.

UVB is required. Like bearded dragons they develop metabolic bone disease without it, and the tube needs replacing every six to twelve months regardless of whether it still lights.

The diet is the part most often got wrong. They are omnivores, not insectivores: roughly half greens and vegetables, half protein from insects, and a small amount of fruit. Obesity from too much protein is common.

House alone — they are solitary and adults fight.

Provide deep substrate for burrowing, and a hide at each end of the gradient.

General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual reptiles vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.

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