What Is a Lizard With a Brilliant Blue Tail & Black Body?

A lizard with a black body and brilliant blue tail is known as a blue-tailed skink. Also called the five-lined skink, it has three yellow stripes running the length of its body. These reptiles are often mistaken for snakes because of their long bodies and small legs.

Defense Mechanism

This species of skink uses its tail as a defense mechanism. The long stripes on its body direct the eyes of predators to the brightly colored tail. When the skink is threatened or roughly handled, it can force the blue tail to detach,

Escaping a Predator

Once the tail is detached, it continues to wiggle, distracting the predator while the skink burrows or otherwise escapes. The tail grows back easily.

Habitat

Blue-tailed skinks are most often found in hotter climates. Unlike other lizards, they tend to avoid the sun by hiding under rocks and fallen trees. Common habitats include forests, gardens and coconut plantations.

Diet

The diet of blue-tailed skinks consists mainly of insects, although a few larger skink species have strictly plant-based diets.

Regions of the World

The distribution of blue-tailed skinks ranges from eastern Indonesia, New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Micronesia, Fiji and the island republic of Vanautu to wooded regions in the southeastern United States.

References

• ReptileChannel.com: Blue-Tailed Skink
• kaweahoaks.com: Skinks