Blue Tongue Lizard

The Australian Blue Tongue Lizard is a type of skink which is common in many Sydney back yards.

The Blue Tongue lizard has a large snake-like head, and this striking blue tongue from which it, obviously, gets its name. You can often see them sunning themselves in suburban gardens and city parks the early morning. They need the sun to warm them up, because like all reptiles, they are cold-blooded animals.

There are seven species of blue-tongue lizard in Australia, which has more species of skinks than all the other lizard types put together.

The bright blue tongue gives the Blue Tongue lizard a fearsome appearance, especially to someone who has never seen one before. Fortunately though, the blue tongue lizard does not have a poisonous bite, and it has to be extremely provoked before it gives you a nip. It's the creature's only way of saying "Leave me alone".

Blue Tongue lizards are often killed by household pets, especially dogs and cats - from which they have no defense.

Male Blue Tongues go hunting for receptive females around August, when the Australian weather is warming up and the lizards are coming out of their winter hibernation. The baby lizards are born in late January, when the Sydney weather is really hot.