Tiliqua scincoides scincoides- EASTERN BLUETONGUE

EASTERN (Common) BLUETONGUE SKINK
Tiliqua scincoides scincoides

This dark Eastern Bluetongue Tiliqua scincoides scincoides was found at Breadalbane, NSW

The Common or Eastern Bluetongue Tiliqua scincoides scincoides is found in the Eastern and Southern parts of the range. The Northern Bluetongue Tiliqua scincoides intermedia is found in Northern and Western parts of the range.

COMMON NAME	SCIENTIFIC NAME	DISTRIBUTION
Eastern Blue-Tongued Lizard	Tiliqua scincoides scincoides	NSW, ACT, Qld, SA, Vic
Northern Blue-Tongued Lizard	Tiliqua scincoides intermedia	NT, Qld, WA

This Eastern Bluetongue Tiliqua scincoides scincoides has it original tail

This Eastern Bluetongue Tiliqua scincoides scincoides was happily basking on the edge of a busy road near Wollongong, NSW. It had lost part of its tail which has started regrowing. Bluetongues may drop their tails under extreme conditions, but many lose their tails when run over on roads.

Juvenile Eastern Bluetongue Tiliqua scincoides scincoides

This Eastern Bluetongue Tiliqua scincoides scincoides was basking with its body flattened when first photographed at Studley Park, Victoria, however as I approached it, its body went back to a more normal shape - (see photo below)

This mite infested Eastern Bluetongue Tiliqua scincoides scincoides was photographed at Studley Park, Victoria.
Snake mite (not native) are commonly found on common bluetongues - and their white droppings that look a bit like talcum powder are often easily seen on them

Pictures above are of the Common or Eastern Bluetongue - Tiliqua scincoides scincoides. The general pattern does not vary greatly in this subspecies, unlike the Northern Bluetongue Tiliqua scincoides intermedia which has extreme geographic variation. Note the that eye stripe may be indistinct or missing in some individuals of Tiliqua scincoides scincoides and present in some Tiliqua scincoides intermedia.

These are captive bred hybrids between a Shinglebacks Tiliqua rugosa aspera and a Common Bluetongue Tiliqua scincoides scincoides, however hybrids have occasionally been found in the wild. An adult wild caught Shingleback/bluetongue hybrid was kept on display at the South Australian Museum in the information section for many years until it was stolen. Later the South Australian Museum obtained a second adult Shingleback/bluetongue hybrid which I think was also wild caught. I suspect one parent of each museum specimen was a Common Bluetongue Tiliqua scincoides scincoides or possibly a lowlands form of Blotched Bluetongue Tiliqua nigrolutea

LINKS OF INTEREST
Northern Blue-Tongued Lizard Tiliqua scincoides intermedia

Shingleback Tiliqua rugosa asper

Blotched Bluetongue Tiliqua nigrolutea

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EASTERN (Common) BLUETONGUE SKINK
Tiliqua scincoides scincoides

COMMON NAME

SCIENTIFIC NAME

DISTRIBUTION

Eastern Blue-Tongued Lizard