Blue-tongued Skink- Tiliqua scincoides intermedia

Size- Blue-tongue skinks are two feet in length, including their tail, and weigh 285-510 grams. They are the largest members of the skink family.

Life span- 20 years

Diet- They feed upon flowers, fruit and berries, insects, snails, mice and small lizards.

Geographic range- They are native to Australia , New Guinea and Eastern Indonesia

Habitat- They inhabit rainforests, forests, deserts and grasslands.

Reproduction- Females are ovoviviparous, which means they retain the eggs within their body and the babies are born live. They will typically give birth to 6-12 young but have been known to have 25 babies at one time. The young are 4 inches long and weigh 10-18 ounces.

Special adaptations- Blue-tongued skinks have long, narrow bodies with short legs that cannot support their weight. This allows them to easily crawl through the underbrush of their habitat. Their scales are smooth and overlapping which helps keep out dirt, sand and other debris.

Behavior- When threatened, they will puff up their body, stick out their blue tongue and hiss to deter predators. They also have an autonomous tail like most lizards. This means they are able to release or cast off part of their tail which will continue to move as they escape. They are able to regenerate this tail in a matter of months.