Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard
Common Name
Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard
Scientific Name
Tiliqua scincoides
Body Covering
The Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard is grey with brown straps covering it. They have scales that are small and smooth which overlap each other. Their colour helps them blend into their environment, as you can see above.
Size
The Eastern Blue-tongue Lizard can grow up to 45cm long, and weigh 280-510 g.
Tongue
The Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard has a blue tongue to scare predators away. They stick their tongue out when they are frightened or trying to look bigger. It's Tongue is showed in the picture at the top of the page.
Adaptations
Structural Adaptation
The Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard has a very flat body to allow it to fit under logs and absorb the maximum amount of sun rays to heat it's body up. It is key for the Eastern Blue tongue to be able to fit under logs and rocks enabling it to hide from predators and take shelter. Their flat body also covers as much area as possible meaning they can absorb enough heat to give them energy. Without their flat body, the Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard would struggle to shelter from predators and wouldn't absorb enough heat from the sun.
Behavioral Adaptation
When Threatened by predators, the Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard will puff up its body to look larger. By doing this the Blue tongue lizard makes itself bigger and more threatening to the predator. Then, the predator may think twice about attacking the Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard. Without this adaptation the Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard would be attacked by predators more often.
Habitat
Blue Tongue Lizards live in open country with lots of leaf litter, sheltering under large objects at night. However they are often found in backyards and gardens. They Live in Eastern and Northern Australia as shown in the map at the bottom of the page. As you can see in the Zoo Enclosure below it is full of rocks, logs and shrubs replicating the natural habitat.
Zoo Enclosure Natural Habitat
Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard
Scientific Name
Tiliqua scincoides
Body Covering
The Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard is grey with brown straps covering it. They have scales that are small and smooth which overlap each other. Their colour helps them blend into their environment, as you can see above.
Size
The Eastern Blue-tongue Lizard can grow up to 45cm long, and weigh 280-510 g.
Tongue
The Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard has a blue tongue to scare predators away. They stick their tongue out when they are frightened or trying to look bigger. It's Tongue is showed in the picture at the top of the page.
Adaptations
Structural Adaptation
The Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard has a very flat body to allow it to fit under logs and absorb the maximum amount of sun rays to heat it's body up. It is key for the Eastern Blue tongue to be able to fit under logs and rocks enabling it to hide from predators and take shelter. Their flat body also covers as much area as possible meaning they can absorb enough heat to give them energy. Without their flat body, the Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard would struggle to shelter from predators and wouldn't absorb enough heat from the sun.
Behavioral Adaptation
When Threatened by predators, the Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard will puff up its body to look larger. By doing this the Blue tongue lizard makes itself bigger and more threatening to the predator. Then, the predator may think twice about attacking the Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard. Without this adaptation the Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard would be attacked by predators more often.
Habitat
Blue Tongue Lizards live in open country with lots of leaf litter, sheltering under large objects at night. However they are often found in backyards and gardens. They Live in Eastern and Northern Australia as shown in the map at the bottom of the page. As you can see in the Zoo Enclosure below it is full of rocks, logs and shrubs replicating the natural habitat.
Zoo Enclosure Natural Habitat