{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "blue-tongued-skink",
  "name": "Blue-tongued Skink",
  "scientificName": "Tiliqua scincoides",
  "category": "Reptile",
  "summary": "The blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides) is a stocky Australian lizard that flashes a cobalt tongue to startle predators. It is an omnivore of woodland, scrub, and suburban gardens in eastern and northern Australia, weighs about 0.5 kg, bears live young, and is listed Least Concern.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Reptilia",
    "order": "Squamata",
    "family": "Scincidae",
    "genus": "Tiliqua"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 0.5,
    "lengthM": 0.45,
    "topSpeedKmh": 5,
    "lifespanYears": 20
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Tiliqua scincoides"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Omnivore"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Woodland, scrub, and suburban gardens"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "Around 20 years in the wild (varies by population and captivity)."
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "About 0.5 kg typical adult mass (sex and region vary)."
    },
    {
      "label": "Top speed",
      "value": "Up to roughly 5 km/h when moving at speed."
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (IUCN)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Eastern and northern Australia; related species across Australia and New Guinea.",
    "continents": [
      "Oceania"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/blue-tongued-skink/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/blue-tongued-skink/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}