For our purposes here I will be referring to the Common Eastern Blue Tongue Lizard which is found throughout the urban built environment and has been the only native large blue lizard species to have adapted so well to our man made environment. Its cousin the ShingleBack or Sleepy lizard is quite scarce within the urban landscape but becomes more common in the fringe or semi rural suburbs. For all smaller lizard species of skinks, dragons and geckos can be followed.

Recommended procedure for dealing with an injured blue tongue lizard if MOP is NOT prepared or able to provide first aid to the injured animal

  1. Catch the lizard if possible using a wet towel or cloth which can be thrown over the lizard and wrap it up and take it to any vet to have it assessed or alternatively call a wildlife carer for assistance.
  2. If the lizard is very badly injured and perhaps in need of euthanasia once again attempt to contain and then transport to the nearest vet or call a wildlife carer for assistance.

If the MOP is prepared to offer first aid to the injured lizard generally prior to referral to a vet the following measures should be followed.

  1. After catching the injured lizard, place it in a small container, providing constant 24/7 heating between 20-27 degree celsius to enable animals healing mechanisms to kick in.  Do not provide any topical antiseptic including betadine to open wounds which can do more harm than good.
  2. Do not provide food for the animal or attempt to force feed it and do not provide standing water in a bowl. Apply periodic spraying of water around the head and face to give some level of hydration prior to obtaining veterinary attention.

Genus Tiliqua

Species scincoides

Size: up to 60cm in length (36cm id head and body)

Distribution: found in south-eastern Australia

Description

The Blue Tongue lizard is the largest member of the skink family. Skink lizards are known to have overlapping scales that are smooth and contain small plates of bone in them. They have grey scales with dark brown stripes across its back and tail. 

Habitat: 

Blue Tongues are usually found in open country, with plenty of ground cover (i.e. grasses or leaf litter). At night, they shelter among the leaf litter or under “large objects” (ie rocks, or logs). When they emerge in the morning, they bask in the sun, prior to foraging for food, when it is warmer. 

Similarly to all lizards, Blue Tongue Lizards are exothermic (they do not produce their own body heat, and are dependent on the heat of their environment). When they are active, Blue Tongue Lizards maintain a body temperature of around 30°C – 35°C. Whereas during winter, or cold weather, they will remain inactive and buried deep within their shelter, but they will be able to be seen on sunny days to bask. 

Reproduction:

Blue Tongue Lizards give birth to live young. Out of all the Blue Tongue Lizards, the Eastern Blue Tongue has the largest litter (up to 19, usually 10) with the smallest young (13-14cm in length and 10-20g) 

Lifespan:

They reach maturity (adult) at about 3 years of age (a length of 40cm). They are able to live 30 years in the wild. 

Genus Tiliqua 

Species rugosa

Size: total length of 41cm (34cm is the head and body)

Distribution: found West of the Great Dividing Range, with low rainfall 

Description:

Shinglebacks are the bulkiest species of Lizard within the blue-tongue family. It has dark brown (with or without yellow spots) large rough scales. Their tongue is dark blue, with the lining of the mouth being bright pink. They have a large head and a short blunt tail. Males are stockier (and have a larger head) compared to females, which grow bigger than males. 

Habitat: 

They live in areas that have low rainfall and throughout the semi-arid habitats of inland Australia, as well as coastal parts of WA and SA.

Shinglebacks are usually found in open country, with plenty of ground cover (i.e. grasses or leaf litter). At night, they shelter among the leaf litter or under “large objects” (ie rocks, or logs). When they emerge in the morning, they bask in the sun, prior to foraging for food, when it is warmer. 

Similarly to all lizards, Shinglebacks are exothermic (they do not produce their own body heat, and are dependent on the heat of their environment). When they are active, Shinglebacks maintain a body temperature of around 30°C – 35°C. Whereas during winter, or cold weather, they will remain inactive and buried deep within their shelter, but they will be able to be seen on sunny days to bask. 

Tail:

Shinglebacks are not able to drop their tail, nor grow it back. 

Reproduction:

Shinglebacks have 2-3 live young that are 22 cm in length (total) and weigh up to 200g. 

Lifespan:

Shingleback can live up to 50 years in the wild, but is more commonly found to live up to 20 years. 

They are monogamous and can be found in pairs between September and November, otherwise they live alone the rest of the year. 

Genus Pogona 

Species barbata

Size: 55cm in length (total)

Distribution: open woodlands, Found in the wetter parts of South Australia and along the east coast of Australia

Compared to the Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps), which is found North of Port Pirie, in the arid interior. 

Description

The Bearded Dragon has a wide body shape that allows it to hug surfaces when lying down. It has elongated spinous scales around the lower jaw and lower sides of the body, that appear to be spiky, but are actually rubbery in texture. This is to make themselves less appealing to predators. 

The tail is approximately the same length as the head and the body. The Bearded Dragon’s head is shaped like a triangle and can seem to have a striped pattern along the jawline. 

The Eastern Bearded Dragon has grey coloured scales. Whereas the Central Bearded Dragon can be found in a variety of shades of reds, browns and yellows (these shades of scales match the colour of the soil, that occurs where they live)

Commonly, the males have larger heads and are brighter than the females. 

Bearded Dragons are exothermic (they do not produce their own body heat, and are dependent on the heat of their environment), and therefore can be commonly seen basking. Although they are adept at climbing and therefore they can be found on tree stumps or branches to bask in the sunlight, at the same time as keeping an eye on potential predators. 

Tail:

Bearded Dragons do not regrow or drop-off their tails as a defence mechanism when threatened.

Reproduction:

They are oviparous (egg laying). In a clutch they can lay as little as 10 eggs up to 30 eggs.  

Lifespan:

They live for 8-10 years, up to 15 years in captivity 

Important Fact:

The Central Bearded Dragon, has seen an increase in occurrences within the Wildlife Rescue Community as a result of surrenders or escape pets. This affects the ability of releasing the Central Bearded Dragons, as they are not local to the Adelaide Region, nor can they be released back to their native habitat in the arid North, due to gene pool contamination, from inbreeding caused by long term captivity. 

The Eastern Bearded Dragon is found to be less friendly and has less adaptability to captivity compared to its cousin the Central Bearded Dragon. Causing the Pet Trade to be more interested in the Central Bearded Dragon, both Nationally and Internationally. 

Shingleback:

  1. They are not agile and mostly eat slow moving animals. They have teeths that are large, as well as strong jaw muscles to crush the shells of beetles and snails.
  2. They are Omnivores (eat plants and insects). They will eat flowers, leaves, berries, snails, beetles, spiders and scorpions.  
  3. They have a lifespan of up to 50 years. 
  4. They give birth to 2 live young per year, which are independent within days of their birth. 
  5. The babies measures up to half the length of their mother. 
  6. You might spot two Shinglebacks crossing the road. The male follows the female between September and November, as they are monogamous (form lifelong pairs) 
  7. Their Tails store fat for the winter, allowing them to brumate and not eat for months. 
  8. They show their blue tongue by opening their mouths to scare predators away. 
  9. They can be found in various shades (from dark brown to cream)
  10. Their short, stumpy and wide tail resembles their heads to confuse predators. 
  11. They have a ‘third eye’ on their head (a small hole leading to their brains). It is used to regulate their body temperature, as well as working out if it is day or night. 

 

Blue Tongue:

  1. The bright blue colour of their tongue compared to their pink mouth, is used to frighten potential predators 
  2. They can live up to 30 years in the wild
  3. They are Omnivores (eat plants and insects). They will eat flowers, berries, snails, and beetles
  4. They are solitary, and therefore for most of the year they live alone. 
  5. There is one species of Blue Tongue that can be found outside of Australia. It is the Indonesian Blue Tongue(Tiliqua gigas), which can be found in the small islands of Indonesia. 
  6. They do not lay eggs, and give birth to live young between December and January every year.
  7. Avoid using snail bait (pellets), since if a Blue Tongue eats a poisoned snail, they will also get poisoned. Instead deter snails from your veggie patch by sprinkling coffee ground, ash, sawdust or crushed eggshells (as snails and slugs, don’t like to crawl on them). 
  8. Be cautious when mowing your lawn. Most creatures will run away from the sound of a lawnmower, but not this little skink. It will prefer to hide.
  9. The Pygmy Blue Tongue is the smallest Blue Tongue Lizard at 15 cm in total length. It lives in only a few locations in South Australia. Using holes in the ground made by Trapdoor Spiders. 
  10. They can reach sizes over 50 cm in length. 
  11. They have a ‘third eye’ on their head (a small hole leading to their brains). It is used to regulate their body temperature, as well as working out if it is day or night. 

 

BEARDED DRAGON

  1. They have a ‘third eye’ on their head (a small hole leading to their brains). It is used to regulate their body temperature, as well as working out if it is day or night. 
  2. They can be found during light rains to be standing up on their back legs with its tail and head sloping down. To allow water to drip over its body towards its snout, to lick the drop. 
  3. They communicate by arm waving and head bobbing as well as using colour display using their beards. 
  4. There has been evidence that indicates that females are able to store sperm. Allowing them to produce two clutches
  5. Recently, it has been found that the Bearded Dragon have primitive venom glands, which have a mild venom which is not really harmful to humans
  6. They are able to run at the same speed as humans, when they raise themselves onto their rear legs. 
  7. Reptiles have the ability to regenerate their teeths. Although the Bearded Dragons are unique, as they have both polyphyodont and monophyodont teeth on the same jawline. They use a biological mechanism that is similar to geckos and sharks to regrow the polyphyodont front teeth (over time), although is the monophyodont teeth fall out, they will not be able to regenerate.