Eastern Blue-tongued Skink Tiliqua scincoides

Skinks are glossier than lizards and have tiny legs and feet. There are 6 species of Blue-tongued Skink, all native to Australia except the Giant Blue-tongued which is native to New Guinea and some Indonesian islands nearby. The Shingleback, although blue-tongued, is not always included in the Tiliqua species, which would leave 5 species.

The attractive Eastern Blue-tongued Skink, also called the Common, is native to much of Eastern Australia. The nominal subspecies often has a light background with some dark golden bars on its back and some black markings. The intermedia subspecies (Northern Blue-tongued) has a slightly darker body with a russet brown background. All Blue-tongues have, of course, blue tongues (in a pink inner mouth).

The Eastern Blue-tongued is about the same size as the Indonesian "Giant" Blue-tongued, males reaching some 60 cm of which half is tail.

It is an omnivore eating mainly insects, fruit and snails.