# Bluetongues (*Tiliqua*) Bluetongues are friendly lizards known for their bright blue tongues! They love to bask in the sun and can be found in many places. Their blue tongue helps scare away predators. - **Category:** [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/reptile) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Grasslands - **Also known as:** Bluetongue Lizard ![Bluetongues](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Tiliqua_scincoides_scincoides.jpg&width=800) Photo: JJ Harrison ( https://www.jjharrison.com.au/ ), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tiliqua_scincoides_scincoides.jpg) ## Appearance The Bluetongues has a stout, robust body covered in large, smooth, overlapping scales, giving it a sleek appearance. Its short, powerful legs support a broad head, and it famously possesses a vibrant cobalt-blue tongue, which contrasts sharply with its pink mouth. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Squamata - **Order:** Lacertilia - **Family:** Scincidae - **Genus:** Tiliqua ## Interesting facts - Bluetongues can live for over 20 years in human care, making them long-lived lizards! - These lizards love to eat snails and slugs, helping gardeners by controlling garden pests! - They are viviparous, giving birth to fully formed live young instead of laying eggs! - They often bask in sunny spots, warming up their cold-blooded bodies like tiny solar panels. ## Special abilities - **Blue Tongue Bluff:** Bluetongues can stick out their bright blue tongue to startle predators, making themselves seem more dangerous or poisonous. - **Scaly Armor:** Bluetongues has tough, overlapping scales that act like natural armor, protecting them from bites and scratches. - **Tail Drop Defense:** Bluetongues can drop their tail if caught, allowing them to escape danger while the predator is distracted. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 45-60 cm - **Weight:** 0.5-1.5 kg - **Lifespan:** 15-20 years - **Speed:** 5 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 5-20 ## Diet & Feeding Bluetongues are omnivores, eating almost anything they can find, from bugs to plants and fruit. - **Primary Foods:** snails, slugs, insects, flowers, berries, vegetation - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Eastern Brown Snake (*Pseudonaja textilis*) — A venomous snake that preys on Bluetongues. - **Eaten by:** Wedge-tailed Eagle (*Aquila audax*) — A large bird of prey that can hunt Bluetongues. - **Eats:** Black Field Cricket (*Teleogryllus commodus*) — Bluetongues often consume these common insects. - **Eats:** Australian Land Snail (*Camaena cicatricosa*) — Snails are a favorite food source for Bluetongues. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Omnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/omnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet includes both plant and animal matter. - [Arboreal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/arboreal): Arboreal animals live primarily in trees, utilizing them for shelter, food, and protection from predators. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Thermoregulating](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/thermoregulating): Thermoregulating organisms maintain a stable internal body temperature despite fluctuations in the external environment. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Reptiles](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/reptiles) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always watch from a distance and never try to touch wild lizards. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Bluetongues? Compare toes, scales, head shape, crests and tail proportions. Many lizards can drop and regrow their tails, so a short tail isn't always a species trait. Lizard Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Bluetongues? 45-60 cm ### How much does Bluetongues weigh? 0.5-1.5 kg ### How long does Bluetongues live? 15-20 years ### How fast can Bluetongues move? 5 km/h ### What does Bluetongues eat? Bluetongues are omnivores, eating almost anything they can find, from bugs to plants and fruit. ### Where is Bluetongues usually found? Grasslands ### How does Bluetongues hunt? Foraging ## More Reptiles - [Pond Slider](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pond-slider) (*Trachemys scripta*) - [Western Fence Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-fence-lizard) (*Sceloporus occidentalis*) - [Common Five-lined Skink](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-five-lined-skink) (*Plestiodon fasciatus*) - [Desert Spiny Lizard](https://www.snappit.app/explore/desert-spiny-lizard) (*Sceloporus magister*) --- Source: [Bluetongues: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bluetongues)