Tribute to the blue-tongued monster

The Blue-tongued Skink (also called the blue tongue lizard) is an Australian lizard . It spends its days eating and sunning itself. At night it rests, sheltered in fallen logs or leaf litter. It is a relatively shy animal, but can put up a bold front when cornered; when threatened, it puffs up its body, sticks out its long, blue tongue, and hisses. The Blue-tongued Skink has a life span of up to 20 years.

Anatomy: Blue-tongued Skinks have a long, bright blue tongue, tiny legs, and a short tail which can break off and regrow. This skink grows up to 23.5 inches (60 cm) long.

Diet : Blue-tongued Skinks are omnivores (they eat meat and plants). They eat small animals (like insects, worms, and snails) and flowers, fruits and berries.

Habitat: Blue-tongued Skinks are native to Australia . They live in a variety of habitats, including grasslands , forests, rainforests , and deserts . They are now found all over the world as pets.

Reproduction: Blue-tongued Skink give birth to 6 to 12 live young. Newborns are about 4 inches (10 cm) long and weigh about 0.5 ounce (14 grams).

Classification: Class Reptilia (reptiles ), Order Squamata (lizards and snakes ), Family Scincidae (skinks), Genus Tiliqua , Species scincoides.

Adapted from: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects
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