The blotched blue-tongued lizard (''Tiliqua nigrolutea''), also known as the southern blue-tongued lizard or blotched blue-tongued skink is a

blue-tongued skink Blue-tongued skinks comprise the Australasian genus ''Tiliqua'', which contains some of the largest members of the skink family (Scincidae). They are commonly called blue-tongued lizards or simply blue-tongues or blueys in Australia. As suggeste ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to south-eastern Australia.

Description

This species is a relatively large member of the skink

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

( Scincidae) with a robust body and relatively short limbs. Colouration and pattern varies geographically, with two distinct forms recognised by some herpetologists, i.e lowlands and highlands. The lowlands form tends to be shades of grey or brown with paler silvery to tan coloured blotches along the back, that are contrasted by surrounding darker areas. The highlands form is typically darker (often jet black) that provides a strong contrast to much paler cream or more brightly coloured pink, salmon or orange coloured blotches. They have a fleshy blue tongue that is used to taste the air and scare off potential predators. They tend to rely on camouflage and bluff as their primary means of defence; however, if cornered or molested, they can put on an impressive and effective defensive display. If further molested, it will bite as a last resort and although the bite can be painful due to its powerful jaws, the teeth are blunt and generally do not break the skin. This species is harmless, as are all skinks and inoffensive by nature. They are sometimes kept as pets, as they adapt well to captivity, eating a wide range of readily available foods. The lizard is about 14 to 20 inches (35 to 50 cm) long, and is found in wet and dry

sclerophyll Sclerophyll is a type of vegetation that is adapted to long periods of dryness and heat. The plants feature hard leaves, short internodes (the distance between leaves along the stem) and leaf orientation which is parallel or oblique to direct ...

forests,

montane Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is a crucial ...

woodlands and coastal

heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler a ...

lands. It is an omnivore with a diet consisting of a variety of insects, snails, carrion, wildflowers, native fruits and other vegetation like select leaves, and occasionally small vertebrates like mice or other young rodents if given the chance. The tail can be dropped (

autotomy Autotomy (from the Greek ''auto-'', "self-" and ''tome'', "severing", αὐτοτομία) or self-amputation, is the behaviour whereby an animal sheds or discards one or more of its own appendages, usually as a self-defense mechanism to elude ...

) when grasped by a predator (like most skinks), but this large skink is much less likely to do so than most other members of the skink family.

Distribution and habitat

The species occurs in Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory. The lowlands form is found in Tasmania and lower altitudes of Victoria right down to the coast. The highlands form is restricted to higher altitudes in NSW and the high country of Victoria. The blotched blue-tongued lizard usually emerges from brumation in early spring, which is the mating season. These large skinks are viviparous (give birth to live young), with the highland/alpine form giving birth to relatively larger and fewer young (about five) compared to the lowland form (about 11). The young are usually born in autumn, after a relatively long gestation period.Edwards A, and Jones S.M. (2004). Parturition in the Blotched Blue-tongued Lizard, ''Tiliqua nigrolutea'', in captivity. Herpetofauna. 34 113-118. They are also relatively long-lived (reliably reported up to 30 years in captivity) compared to many of the smaller skink species. They have adapted well to some rural and urban areas, where they can be found living on farms and in gardens where they are an asset, as they eat pests such as snails, slugs, and occasionally rodents. The blotched blue-tongued lizard is among the animals identified from the

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was finally confirmed in ...

fossil sites of the

Naracoorte Caves National Park Naracoorte Caves National Park is a national park near Naracoorte in the Limestone Coast tourism region in the south-east of South Australia ( Australia). It was officially recognised in 1994 for its extensive fossil record when the site was in ...

Gallery

Tiliqua nigrolutea-melanistic morph.jpg, A melanistic morph of the blotched blue-tongued lizard. Low Head Coastal Reserve, Low Head,

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. 2010 File:Tiliqua nigrolutea-1.JPG, Blotched blue-tongued lizard, Murnanes Bay, Bay of Islands Coastal Park,

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Australia 2013

References

* Cogger H, (2000) ''Reptiles & Amphibians of Australia''

Description

Distribution and habitat

Gallery

References

Further reading