Blue-Tongued Skink Facts

Video Transcript

"Here we have a blue-tongued skink. She's from the Gigas Tiliqua. This particular species is found in the woodlands and savannahs of Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania. Appearance wise, she can reach lengths of up to twenty inches, and she can live ten to fifteen years. You can see that her coloration changes from head to toe, becoming much lighter and the pattern disappears more. She has these very shiny overlapping scales, which provide protection. You can see that her body is elongated, but in comparison, she has very short, stubby limbs. Although she doesn't look very agile, they actually can make pretty quick getaways. Unlike most lizards, these guys do not lay eggs, which makes them pretty special. They can give live birth to up to five to fifteen young, after a one hundred day gestation period. These guys are omnivorous, feeding on insects, small rodents, and plant matter. They can use their Jacobson's organ at the roof of their mouth, to distinguish between their prey items. They will use their tongue, their long tongue, to flick odors, particles, while they're foraging on to the organ, for identification. Many skinks have the ability to lose their tails,when they're being threatened by a predator. They can drop their tail, and it gives them a chance to run away, and make an escape. If you have a pet skink, you should never pick it up by the tail, as it is a somewhat painful process, and it will grow back, but it will never look as good as the original. If you have a blue-tongued skink, you should often take it outside, as it is an ectotherm, and it gets it's energy and it's heat, from the sun."