THE REPTILES OF AUSTRALIA - SKINKS

AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PHOTOS AND INFORMATION
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COLUBRID SNAKES - Colubridae Homalopsidae Mud Snakes

PYTHON SNAKES - Pythonidae

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Selection of Australian Frogs

TURTLES Tortoises Chelonii Testudines

DRAGON LIZARDS Agamas Agamidae

GECKO LIZARDS Gekkonidae

LEGLESS LIZARDS Pygopodidae Pygopods

MONITOR LIZARDS Goannas Varanids Varanidae

Skinks of Australia

CROCODILES Crocodylia Crocodilia Saltwater freshwater estuarine

Reptiles of the World


PYGMY (PIGMY) BLUE-TONGUE SKINK
or

ADELAIDE BLUETONGUE
Tiliqua adelaidensis

PYGMY (PIGMY) BLUE-TONGUE SKINK  ADELAIDE BLUETONGUE Tiliqua adelaidensis  
Adult Pygmy Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua adelaidensis) from Burra South Australia

Approximate distribution of the Pygmy Blue-tongued Skink Tiliqua adelaidensis
Approximate distribution of the Pygmy Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua adelaidensis)

PYGMY (PIGMY) BLUE-TONGUE SKINK  ADELAIDE BLUETONGUE Tiliqua adelaidensis
Pygmy Blue-tongued Skinks (Tiliqua adelaidensis) live down spider burrows, where they ambush their prey, which is usually insects.

Rediscovered in Burra area in 1992 , the older museum specimens were recorded from the Adelaide metropolitan area, Burra, and Gawler area.

Many herpetologists by the end of the 20th century believed that this species was most likely extinct, as the last 2 "Adelaide Bluetongues" had been found in the Marion area in 1959 and although most amateur and professional herpetologists were aware of this species, and it was often discussed among those in South Australia and searched for, no specimens were found until 33 years later.

I have lived in Adelaide since 1966 and remember being told about "Adelaide Bluetongues" by Hans Minchum at the South Australian Museum. He had told me the story of workmen finding the 2 specimens down a hole in the ground at Marion. They tipped hot tea down the hole and the lizards ran out and were caught then taken to the Museum. One died soon from its exposure to the hot tea, and the second one was kept for a few weeks before it lost condition and was preserved.
Harry Ehmann founder of the South Australian Herpetology Group, (and a person I have spent many hours in the field with), published a detailed account of this story in Herpetofauna magazine 1982/83.

Graham Armstrong another friend of mine and ex-member of the South Australian Herpetology Group (accompanied by Julian Reid), cut open a road killed brown snake in 1992 and found a dead "Adelaide" bluetongue in its stomach. This started an intense search in the area for live specimens, and after a while some dead lizards were found followed by a live specimen. It was only after Terry Morley (Reptile Keeper at Adelaide Zoo, and ex-South Australian Herp Group member) discovered that they were living down spider burrows, that Pygmy Bluetongues started being found in significant numbers.

The new preferred common name for the "Adelaide bluetongue" became the "Pygmy Bluetongue" because the Common (or Eastern) bluetongue is an extremely common species in the Adelaide suburbs, and the old name caused a confusion amongst the general public. Note that the few Pygmy bluetongues that I have seen open their mouths do not have a bluetongue, they have a pink-tongue. The term "Bluetongue" is used to describe the genus Tiliqua, and tongue colour is usually some shade of blue with the Common bluetongue having a bright blue tongue that it displays when threatened. (There is another species in Eastern Australia called a "Pink-Tongue Skink")

The current range has been extended significantly since 1992, and it currently it is known from Northern York Peninsula , through to Peterborough and the Barossa Valley. Note that Pygmy bluetongues are very difficult to find, even in the areas they are relatively common, by the average field herpetologist.

Pygmy Bluetongues are now believed to be extinct in Adelaide area (where they used to occur) by many people.

PYGMY (PIGMY) BLUE-TONGUE SKINK  ADELAIDE BLUETONGUE Tiliqua adelaidensis
Photo above and below show a newly born Pygmy Bluetongue (Tiliqua adelaidensis), Burra

PYGMY (PIGMY) BLUE-TONGUE SKINK  ADELAIDE BLUETONGUE Tiliqua adelaidensis

YOUTUBE VIDEOS BELOW


Tiliqua Lizard Crawl 2013




World's First Pigmy Blue Tongue Lizard Detection Dog


(WARNING - NOT VIEWABLE IN SOME COUNTRIES)
This is a video of the pigmy blue-tongue skink from the BBC's Life in Cold Blood documentary series. It was taken in the same field as the photos above.

LINKS OF INTEREST

Common Bluetongue (Tiliqua scincoides scincoides)

More Information about Australian Skinks
Australianherpetology.com

More Information about Australian Reptiles


RECOMMENDED AMAZON BOOKS
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OTHER LINKS

Find a Random Species of Australian Reptile

Visit the Australian Herpetology Website








SKINKS OF THE WORLD

Skinks of Australia

Skinks
of
The World

Skinks
of
Australia



Skinks of Australia

Skinks of NSW

Skinks of Queensland

SKINKS OF NORTHERN TERRITORY- SPECIES LIST

SKINKS OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA- SPECIES LIST

Skinks of Victoria

ACT SKINK LIZARDS Scincidae

Skinks of Tasmania

Skinks
of South
Australia

Skinks
of
NSW

Skinks
of
Qld

Skinks
of
NT

Skinks
of
WA

Skinks
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Victoria

Skinks
of
ACT

Skinks
of
Tasmania



SOME REPTILE LISTS BY STATE OR TERRITORY

Reptiles of South Australia
REPTILES OF VICTORIA
REPTILES OF NSW REPTILES OF QUEENSLAND REPTILES OF NORTHERN TERRITORY REPTILES OF Western Australia Reptiles of the ACT(Canberra)

Reptiles of South Australia

Reptiles
of
Victoria

Reptiles
of
NSW

Reptiles
of
Qld

Reptiles
of
NT

Reptiles
of
WA

Reptiles
of the
ACT

Reptiles of Tasmania




Reptiles of Lord Howe Island

Reptiles of Christmas Island

Reptiles
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Reptiles of Norfolk Island






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Reptiles of Australia

Selection of Australian Frogs

Reptiles of the World

Amphibians of the World

Reptiles
of
Australia

Frogs
of
Australia

Reptiles
of
The World

Amphibians of the
World




About John Fowler | About John Hollister | Report Faulty Link | Report an Error

Contact John Fowler Author of the Australian Herpetology Website, Pythons of the World, - Owner of the Adelaide Reptile Forum

Contact John Hollister Author of John Hollister Reptile Collection - Herping the Trans-Pecos & Sweetwater, Texas Rattlesnake Roundup

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Updated June 8, 2022


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