Blue-Tongued Skinks. David C. Wareham

skink, as its name suggests, occurs on the Indonesian Kei Islands. Keis start developing their adult colors at around two to three months of age. The ground color, although quite variable, is typically greenish, with spots and bands of black or brown mixed with reds, browns, and tans; some specimens also display yellows and oranges. The tip of this blue tongue’s nose (on a rather stout head) is almost always creamy to white.

      The Kei differs from the New Guinea subspecies in several ways: Individual Kei specimens are more impressively built and are therefore more energetic and more active. Kei blue tongues have faded and spotted bands (compared to the New Guinea’s well-defined banding) and very pale orange, or even white, bellies (compared to the New Guinea’s darker, often red, stomach). In addition, Keis always have the same markings on their flanks no matter what color they are, whereas the New Guinea blue tongues lack this pattern. Lastly, the Kei’s head is exceptional and, rather than tapering to a tip, has a nose that comes to an abrupt point.

      The Kei Island blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua gigas keyensis).

      Merauke Blue-Tongued Skink, Tiliqua gigas evanescens

      The Merauke blue-tongued skink, known also as the Faded blue tongue, occurs in southern Papua New Guinea and is the longest of the blue tongues. The Merauke often attains lengths of more than 25 inches (63.5 cm), with some adult specimens reaching 30 inches (76 cm).

      Juvenile Merauke individuals can sometimes be very tricky to differentiate from New Guinea blue tongues. Generally speaking, though, the Merauke has several features that help in its identification: It has a huge tail that is usually much longer than that of the typical New Guinea. Although many specimens display a faded grey tinge (hence its alternative name), both the tail and the body are generally fresher, and the striped pattern more distinct. The Merauke’s throat lacks any speckling, and its forelegs usually lack the solid black found in the New Guinea.

      Although it might not be as eye-catching as some other blue-tongued species, the Merauke can, even if infrequently, show impressive coloration. Generally, though, the species makes up for lack of visual impact by having a pleasantly placid disposition.

      The Merauke blue tongue (Tiliqua gigas evanescens).

      Centralian Blue-Tongued Skink, Tiliqua multifasciata

      The Centralian, or Central, blue-tongued skink occurs in both desert and tropical habitats, including coastal sand dunes, open shrublands, woodlands, and hummock grasslands in West Australia, Queensland, South Australia, and the Northern Territory. It can attain an average total length of 15.5 to 17.5 inches (40 to 45 cm) and has the characteristic blue-tongue build: a robust body; a large, triangular head; and a relatively short tail. The Centralian’s color is predominately brownish gray with eleven to thirteen narrow orange bands across the length of the body and wider brown bands across the tail.

      Active by day, the Centralian hunts for invertebrates and small mammals and forages for plants and berries. At night, it seeks refuge in unused animal burrows or beneath leaves, rock piles, logs, and so on. Females give birth to between two and six young, which is a relatively low rate among blue tongues. The Centralian is listed as “Vulnerable” under the New South Wales Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995, which categorizes threatened species into three groups—Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable—by risk of extinction.

      The Centralian blue tongue (Tiliqua multifasciata).

      Irian Jaya

      Irian Jaya is the former name of the province of West Papua in Indonesia that occupies the western half of New Guinea and a dozen offshore islands. At the time of writing, one more species of blue tongue, which has been recognized for over a decade but has yet to be scientifically described, exists there. This skink is currently known as the Irian Jaya or West Papuan blue-tongued skink. With the region’s thousands of tropical and often isolated constituent islands, additional forms of the blue-tongued skink may be discovered before long.

      The Irian Jaya (Tiliqua Sp.).

      Eastern Blue-Tongued Skink, Tiliqua scincoides scincoides

      Sometimes known as the common blue-tongued lizard, the Eastern blue-tongued skink inhabits a wide range of environments, including bushland, montane forest, semi-desert, and cultivated areas, and it even appears occasionally in suburban gardens in Victoria, southeastern South Australia, New South Wales, and southern Queensland. This stout and slow-moving lizard, which is extremely hardy and can live for up to thirty years in captivity, grows to an average length of 19 inches (48 cm), although larger specimens have been recorded. The Eastern’s diet includes invertebrates, small mammals, and plant material.

      This blue tongue is extremely variable in color but usually has a grayish to orange-brown ground color with darker bars extending over the back onto the flanks and sometimes continuing onto the pale underside. The scales between these bands are generally marked with dark lateral edges, forming a sequence of thin, dark brown, arrowlike lines that extend the length of the body. A dark brown or black temporal strip runs from the back of the eye to the top of the ear opening on each side. The skink’s forelimbs are basically patternless and are always much lighter in color than the hind limbs. Finally, the Eastern has a fat tail and a comparatively narrow head.

      Two subspecies are currently recognized: the Northern blue-tongued skink (T. s. intermedia) and the Tanimbar Island blue-tongued skink (T. s. chimaerea).

      The Eastern blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides scincoides).

      Northern Blue-Tongued Skink, Tiliqua scincoides intermedia

      Native to Australia, the Northern blue-tongued skink is confined almost entirely to the savannah and tropical woodlands of the Northern Territory and lives an average of twenty years. The Northern skink is very likely the largest and heaviest member of the Tiliqua genus, attaining an average length of 24 inches (61 cm). Despite their large size, Northerns are commonly kept as pets because of their docile temperaments. Females typically give birth to between four and twenty live young.

      Comparable in shape to the other members of the genus Tiliqua, the Northern blue tongue has very characteristic patterning: a vivid to soft peachy-orange or even a yellowish color with darker stripes along its back and flanks. The lizard’s underparts are usually a paler, creamier color. Adults and neonates (babies) usually have only negligible differences in their markings and coloration.

      The Northern blue tongue (Tiliqua scincoides intermedia).

      Northerns are the largest of the blue tongues. Here, a Northern baby is compared to a Tanimbar baby.

      Tanimbar Island Blue-Tongued Skink, Tiliqua scincoides chimaerea

      Occasionally known as the Sunda blue-tongued skink, this species is limited solely to the Tanimbar (also known as Timor Laut) and Baber Island groups at the lower end of the Makulu Island chain (formerly the Moluccas) in Indonesia. A small species, the adults range in size from 15 to 17 inches (38 to 43 cm). Adult female Tanimbars typically produce litters of up to ten live young, all miniature replicas of their parents.

      The extremely smooth scales of the Tanimbar Island blue-tongued skink are shiny and almost glasslike. The body color is typically a golden brown banded with silvery gray. However, this coloration can range from vivid orange to lemon yellow to pure white. With age, many specimens become an overall silvery color. This skink’s belly is a golden yellow