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Blue-tongued skinks (genus Tiliqua; 'bluetongues' to Ausies) are big, fat, placid, short-legged, slow-moving lizards that are common in much of Australia. They are the largest of the skinks, and are named for their striking blue tongue, which they stick out in a somewhat comical defensive behavior (I'm not sure how this is supposed to deter a predator). This eastern blue-tongue (T. scincoides) was wandering along a popular hiking trail and must have been used to people, because it never gave me the 'tongue' display despite being picked up and posed a few times. I took the photos in Wollongong, on the coast of New South Wales. |
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