Blue Tongue Lizards Australia Survival Strategies and Threats

Blue tongue lizards in Australia have some amazing survival strategies to help them thrive in the wild.

These lizards are expert diggers and can burrow complex networks of tunnels and dens to escape predators and regulate their body temperature.

To protect themselves from predators, blue tongue lizards will often puff out their bright blue tongue, which deters predators from attacking them.

By doing so, they're able to send a clear warning signal to potential threats.

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Eastern blue-tongued lizards are covered in smooth, overlapping scales that contain small plates of bone.

These scales can be many different colours, but they're most commonly a silvery grey colour underneath with black and/or brown bands across their back and tails.

Their bright blue tongue is one of their most distinctive features.

They have a striking appearance that's sure to catch your eye.

Blue-tongued lizards live in open country with lots of ground cover such as tussocky grasses or leaf litter.

They shelter at night among leaf litter or under large objects on the ground like rocks and logs.

In the morning, they emerge to bask in sunny areas before foraging for food during the warmer parts of the day.

Blue-tongued lizards maintain a body temperature of about 30°C - 35°C when active, relying on the warmth of their surroundings to raise their body temperature.

During cold weather, they remain inactive, buried deep in their shelter sites, but on sunny days they may emerge to bask.

Their range extends from Tasmania, through Victoria to the Blue Mountains of NSW, with a preference for lowland areas in the south and higher altitudes in the north.

Eastern blue-tongued lizards are found throughout the east coast of Australia from Queensland down into Victoria.

Blue-tongues are known to turn towards threats, open their mouths wide, and stick out their broad blue tongue to frighten off predators. This display, combined with their large head size, is often enough to deter threats.

If a blue-tongue feels threatened and is picked up, it may bite. They may also hiss and flatten out their body to make themselves appear bigger.

Blue-tongues are prone to dropping their tails if handled roughly, especially young ones. The tail stump heals rapidly and a shorter regenerated tail grows back over time.

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Eastern blue-tongued lizards are not very agile, so they mostly eat slow-moving animals.

They have a diverse diet that includes a wide variety of plants and animals.

Their large teeth and strong jaw muscles allow them to crush snail shells and beetles.

Slugs and snails are a favourite food item for eastern blue-tongued lizards, likely due to their slow pace.

Eastern blue-tongued lizards also eat carrion, insects, and other lizards, showcasing their opportunistic eating habits.

Eastern blue-tongued lizards have a number of adaptations that help them survive in their environment, such as ear openings at the back of their heads that protect their ear membranes from dirt.

These ear openings are further protected by scales that prevent dirt from entering. They also have a unique way of defending themselves when threatened: by turning towards the threat, opening their mouth wide, and sticking out their bright blue tongue to frighten away predators.

Their bright blue tongue contrasts vividly with their pink mouth, making it a effective deterrent. They also hiss and flatten their body to make themselves look bigger, which is a clever way to scare off potential threats.

The colour of the scales on a blue-tongued lizard helps them to blend in with their surroundings, a clever example of camouflage. This allows them to hide from predators and sneak up on their prey.

Eastern blue-tongued lizards prefer to live in open habitats with lots of ground cover like grass tussocks and leaf litter. They shelter at night among the leaf litter or under large objects such as rocks and logs.

For another approach, see: Shih Tzu Tongue Out

Blue-tongues have some pretty cool defence mechanisms. They turn towards threats, open their mouth wide, and stick out their broad blue tongue to scare off predators.

This display, combined with their large head size, can be quite intimidating. If the threat doesn't go away, they may hiss and flatten their body to make themselves look bigger.

A frightened blue-tongue may even bite if it's picked up. It's worth noting that young ones may drop their tail if handled roughly.

Blue-tongues like to bask on warm surfaces, which can sometimes be their downfall. They're often attracted to black tar roads, which can be deadly.

If you're mowing long grass, keep an eye out for blue-tongues trying to escape by hiding in the grass. They're not exactly built for speed.

To avoid being poisoned, blue-tongues will eat snails and slugs that have ingested snail baits. This means they can also be poisoned themselves, so it's essential to use caution when using these baits.

Blue-tongues can squeeze through small holes in fences, which means they can also escape or get trapped in your garden.

Blue-tongue lizards in Australia have a unique life cycle and breeding behavior.

Female blue-tongues give birth to live young three to five months after mating, between December and April. This is a remarkable adaptation that allows them to thrive in their environment.

The embryos develop in the female's oviduct with the help of a well-developed placenta, much like many mammals. This ensures the young receive the necessary nutrients for growth.

At birth, the young eat the placental membranes and shed their skin for the first time within a few days. This is a crucial step in their development, allowing them to prepare for independence.

Blue-tongues are known to breed every year if they have sufficient food, making them a resilient species. Unfortunately, this means they can also be affected by environmental factors, such as human activity and pesticides.

Males pursue females between September and November, and mating can be a rough process, with females carrying scrape marks from the male's teeth. This intense breeding season is a testament to the species' adaptability and resourcefulness.

The young are ready to look after themselves straight after birth and disperse within a few days. This rapid independence is a key factor in the species' success, allowing them to thrive in a variety of environments.

Blue-tongues can live for up to 20 years in captivity, and possibly longer in the wild. This remarkable lifespan is a testament to their hardiness and ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Blue tongue lizards in Australia are generally not a threat to humans. A bite from an adult blue-tongue can cause pain, break the skin, and leave a bruise.

However, the good news is that there is no venom, so no long-term ill effect will occur. It's still important to clean the bite site with a mild disinfectant, just like with any animal bite.

Blue-tongues can thrive in suburban areas with large backyards, where they can find shelter, food, and basking sites.

They love to hide in rockeries, under houses, and in horizontal pipes, and they'll even live in the same place for many years if they have enough to eat.

A blue-tongue in your garden can be a great asset, helping to keep snail and insect populations under control.

However, some species of blue-tongues, like the pygmy blue-tongue lizard, are in a more precarious situation.

With only a handful of individuals recorded in the 1950s, it was thought to be extinct, but it was just hiding.

Unfortunately, even though they've been found, there aren't many of them, so they're still considered endangered.

They rely on second-hand burrows made by spiders in native grasslands, but these are disappearing as the habitat is converted to agriculture.

Spiders don't build burrows in wheat fields, so these lizards don't live there either.

Bites from adult blue-tongue lizards can cause pain and break the skin, leaving a bruise.

The good news is that there's no venom involved, so there are no long-term ill effects. However, it's still a good idea to clean the bite site with a mild disinfectant as you would with any animal bite.

Translocation is a conservation technique where animals are moved from one location to another. In the case of the pygmy blue-tongue lizard, this was done to help the species adapt to changing climate conditions.

The Flinders University team released 52 lizards into a field on a private farm about 90 kilometres north of Adelaide. This area is much further south and cooler than the pygmy's traditional habitat.

Climate modelling suggests the pygmies are in danger of extinction in the next 50 years due to global warming.