Scientific Name:
Tiliqua scincoides
Distribution
Australia, Tanimbar Islands of Indonesia
Diet:
Omnivore. Insects, other reptiles, snails, slugs, plant material, fruits.
Facts
Habitat: Semi-desert, mixed woodlands, scrublands
Incubation: 10-15 young, ~100 days
Social structure: Solitary
Weight: 493g
Dimensions: ~30cm
Lifespan: 26.6 max under human care
IUCN Status: Least concern
Estimated population in the wild: Unknown
Threats: Consumption of Cane Toads is a significant threat to this species due to their toxicity.
Did you know that:
- When threatened, they open their mouth wide and stick out their blue tongue as a warning that they may be distasteful and it also frightens off predators. They may also hiss and flatten out their body, to make themselves look bigger.
- When in danger they may drop their tail which rapidly heals and a shorter regenerated tail grows back after a time.
- They are "ovoviviparous," meaning their eggs stay inside the mother's body until they're ready to hatch, after which she gives birth to live young.