Pygmy Blue-tongue

Pygmy Blue-tongue
Images ©:
©Aaron Fenner

Tiliqua adelaidensis

Stout body. Short legs. Short tail. Pale brown, grey-brown or dark brown with a few to many irregular black dorsal spots, some of which tend to line up along the vertebral line. Tongue lilac or pink. Sides of mouth lining purple blue. Up to 14 cm. Active by day and shelters in burrows.

Details
Type
Reptile
Group
Animals
Lizard
Other Common Names
Pygmy Blue-tongue Lizard, Pygmy Bluetongue, Adelaide Blue-tongue Lizard
Biology

Viviparous (live young) with an average clutch size of two.
Distinctive Markings

Big head.
Taxonomy
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Reptilia
Order
Squamata
Family
Scincidae
Genus
Tiliqua
Species
adelaidensis

Source: Atlas of Living Australia

Prior to 1992, the Pygmy Blue-tongue had been feared extinct, with no known wild populations. The species was 'rediscovered' when a road-killed Brown Snake was examined and a recently-eaten Pygmy Bluetongue was found inside!

Interesting Facts
Diet

Carnivore, insects (mainly grasshoppers and spiders)
Habitat

Found in temperate grasslands.
Native Status
Native to Australia