FACT SHEET
Backyard Biodiversity - Blue Tongue Lizard (Tiliqua nigrolutea)
About blue tongue lizards
Blue tongue lizards are the largest lizard in Tasmania.
They are best known for their blue tongue which
they use in detecting food and as a survival tactic to
warn off predators when threatened. They are very
secretive but can be found warming themselves in
the sun.
The blue tongue lizard opens it mouth as a defence
mechanism.
Photo source: Martin Finzel
The blue tongue lizard.
Photo source: Martin Finzel
Diet
Blue tongue lizards are omnivores. This means they
eat plants and animals. Lizards may be found feeding
on flowers, fungi, beetles, caterpillars, crickets and
slugs. Their favourite foods include strawberries and
snails. At home you may find blue tongue lizards
eating your dog or cat’s tinned food.
Hiding and hibernation
Blue tongue lizards hibernate (slow down their
activity) over winter, emerging in late September or
October. They hide under vegetation, in hollow logs
or under debris or even in drain pipes. Blue tongues
are cold blooded. They need to sunbake to get their
body temperatures up. If they’ve been in the shade
for a while they can’t run away quickly if a threat
appears.
Defence
If threatened, blue tongue lizards expand their
ribcage and turn ‘side on’ to seem bigger. They hiss
with a wide mouth that shows their blue tongue and
pink mouth. They can bite very hard, but their bite is
not venomous. They don’t like to be picked up and
handled, so try to leave them alone.
Watch Out
During mating season, from May to November,
watch out on the roads as blue tongues can be found
crossing over in pairs. Sometimes the male follows
the female (he has an out of proportion head, and
she is the bigger one), or sometimes the male carries
the female across the road.
Biology
Blue tongue lizards can live as long as 20 years. They
prefer to be on their own, except when looking for
a mate. Males (25cm and 300g) are usually smaller
than females (27cm and 350g).
Mother blue tongues give birth to live young about
three to five months after mating. Babies are born
in late February to March. The resilient babies fend
for themselves only a few days after birth. They will
mature in 4-5 years. Females can give birth to 1-15
live young and reproduce every 2-3 years.
Scientists at the University of Tasmania are trying
to improve our understanding about them, their
reproduction, behaviour and distribution.
Did you know?
• Blue tongues store water and nutrients in their
tails.
• A blue tongue can drop its tail to distract a
predator just like the little lizards or skinks we
commonly see in the garden.
• Once the blue tongue loses its tail, it needs
about a year of good food supply to completely
regrow it.
FACT SHEET
Backyard Biodiversity - Blue Tongue Lizard (Tiliqua nigrolutea)
Threats
The biggest threat to blue tongue lizards is habitat
loss - mainly due to clearance for development.
Other threats to blue tongue lizards include:
• Cars - which may run over them.
• lawn mowers - lizards tend to hide in long grass.
• Dogs and cats - may frighten or attack lizards.
• Snail or slug bait - lizards that eat snails or slugs
that have eaten bait may die.
• Drowning - in swimming pools or ponds.
Tips to relocating blue tongue lizards
If you need to move a blue tongue out of the way,
gently wrap a towel around it or sweep it into a box
and move it to a safer space. Blue tongues aren’t
dangerous, but they can latch onto your finger and
refuse to let go if they aren’t happy.
Further information
Backyard Buddies
www.backyardbuddies.net.au
Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and
Environment
www.dpiw.tas.gov.au > Native Plants and Animals >
Animals of Tasmania > Reptiles and Frogs > Lizards
of Tasmania
Snail & slug bait
Photo source: Toni Domaschenz
How to make a blue tongue lizard friendly garden
• Place some rocks and logs on the ground for
lizard shelter.
• Leave a pile of leaves in a sheltered spot, as leaf
litter provides shelter and food for insects that
blue tongues like to eat.
• Mulch gardens and plant local native ground
covers and shrubs
• Grow strawberries – if you are happy to share
them with the blue tongues!
• Instead of using snail baits, you can use crushed
egg shells, coffee grounds or saw dust to deter
snails from your vegetable garden.
Strawberries - a blue tongue lizards favorite food!
Photo source: Alice Ryder
Parks and Wildlife Service
www.parks.tas.gov.au - Fact Sheets > Wildlife > Reptiles and Amphibians of Freycinet
Flora for Fauna
www.floraforfauna.com.au
www.outback-australia-travel-secrets.com
University of Tasmania
www.zoo.utas.edu.au
Cradle Coast NRM
www.cradlecoastnrm.com