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Description

Species Name: Shingleback Lizard

Species Latin Name: Tiliqua rugosa

Also Known As: Bobtail Lizard, Shingleback, Sleepy Lizard, Two-headed Skink, Stumpy-tailed Skink, Bogeye, Boggi, Pinecone Lizard, Yoorn (native language of the Noongar Aboriginal people)

Native To: Australia

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Photo Taken At: Sealife Melbourne Aquarium

Size (length): 260 – 310mm (10.2 – 12.2 inches)

Weight: 600 – 900g (21.2 – 31.8 ounces)

Lifespan: 15-20 years

Population Trend: Stable

Diet: Omnivore, scavenger

Lifestyle: Terrestrial, precocial, oviparous, viviparous, browsing, brumation

Group Name: Lounge

Mating Behaviour: Monogamy

Reproductive Season: September - November

Pregnancy Duration: 5 months

Births per pregnancy: 1-4 young

Independent Age: Several months

Baby Name: Skinklet

Sub Species:

Eastern Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa Asper), located in eastern Australian

Bobtail or Western Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa Rugosa), located in Western Australia

Rottnest Island Bobtail or Rottnest Island Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa Konowi), located in Rottnest Island, Western Australia

Northern Bobtail or Shark Bay Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa Palarra), located in Shark Bay, Western Australia

Related Species

Adelaide Pygmy Blue-tongued Skink also known as Pygmy Bluetongue (Tiliqua adelaidensis); located north east of Adelaide city from Kapunda in the Light River valley, conservation status: Endangered

Indonesian Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua gigas), located in the island of New Guinea and other surrounding islands

Centralian Blue-tongued Skink also known as Centralian Blue-tongue (Tiliqua multifasciata), located in the far west corner of New South Wales in Australia, conservation status: Least Concern

Blotched Blue-tongue Lizard also known as Southern Blue-tongued Lizard and Blotched Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua nigrolutea), located in south-eastern Australia, conservation status: Least Concern

Western Blue-tongued Lizard also known as Western Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua nigrolutea), located in Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia, conservation status: Least Concern

Common Blue-tongued Skink also known as Blue-tongued Lizard or Common Bluetongue (Tiliqua scincoides), located in Australia as well as the Tanimbar and Babar islands in the Malaku Province of Indonesia, conservation status: Least Concern

Irian Jaya Blue Tongue Skink (Tiliqua sp.), one of the least understood species of blue-tongued skink, has yet to be scientifically classified

Description:

The Shingleback Lizard is one the largest of the Australian Skinks. They have short stubby tails that resemble their heads to a loose degree, the resemblance is enough for the average predator to think the animal has two heads instead of one. Their bodies are covered rather large scales that have a rough and knobby appearance, this gives them an a texture that is similar to that of a pine cone. The scales can vary in colouration from dark brown to a more creamy colour, they have triangular shaped heads with small eyes that are reddish-brown and grey in colour. Their tongues are a bright blue colour which fit inside a bright pink mouth. These lizards are particularly well armored thanks to their large scales and they tend to move rather slowly.

Diet:

This species is an omnivore and is considered an opportunistic predator, that said most of their diet will mainly consist of organic matter such as herbs, seedlings as well as blossoms or fruits that they may come across. The rest of their diet will consist of various insects and other arthropods, snails as well as carrion. These lizards will pretty much eat anything that they come across, this helps them adapt and overcome scenarios where there is a lack of food such as droughts or famines. Their tails also act as a storage of fat which further assists them when there is a low availability of food. Though it does not happen often the Shingleback Lizard has also been seen killing and eating snakes.

Behaviour:

Not much is known how these lizards communicate with one another, it is believed that there is some level of chemical, physical and vocal communication that occurs depending on the situation. Generally these animals live sedentary lives although, they may move around to and from their home area. These lizards are generally relatively docile and other lizards of the same species provided they are from the same family, males from a separate family are likely to be attacked by other males from a different family. It is believed that the pheromones/chemical cue's these animals leave behind allow them to determine if another individual is part of their family or not.

These animals are usually more active during the day as they spend a lot of their time in cleared areas or along roadsides basking in the sun in order to maintain their body temperature. During the night they will sleep among leaf litter or under large rocks and logs for safety, during the colder months they will become a lot less active as they remain deeply buried in their sheltered sites. They may come out during the colder months if the weather is particularly warm on a given day and the sun is shining so that they can bask in the sun some more.

When threatened these animals will try to bluff their way out of confrontation. They will open their mouths wide open and stick out their large blue tongue, as they do this they will hiss violently towards the perceived threat. They may at times flatten their body during this display in an attempt to make themselves seem larger than they really are. If they are close enough to the threat they may attempt to bite. Although these lizards are not venomous they have relatively powerful jaws for their size and their sharp teeth can hurt, if they were to bite a human the wound left would be superficial but would cause great pain, a small amount of bleeding, and a small amount of swelling.

Threats:

Likely due to how armored this lizard is and the way it can pack a powerful bite that is able to dissuade most predators from eating them, that said they will at times be preyed upon be dingoes, Australian pythons, foxes, cats, and humans. Their population seems rather stable and there is no indications that their numbers will drop soon, that said what they are most at risk of dying to appear to be from being run over by cars.

Further Reading (general information):

Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiliqua_…

Related Species Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-ton…

Animal Diversity: animaldiversity.org/accounts/T…

Kidadl: kidadl.com/animal-facts/shingl…

Animalia: animalia.bio/shingleback-lizar…

Backyard Buddies: backyardbuddies.org.au/backyar…

Description

Species Name: Shingleback Lizard

Species Latin Name: Tiliqua rugosa

Also Known As: Bobtail Lizard, Shingleback, Sleepy Lizard, Two-headed Skink, Stumpy-tailed Skink, Bogeye, Boggi, Pinecone Lizard, Yoorn (native language of the Noongar Aboriginal people)

Native To: Australia

Conservation Status: Least Concern

Photo Taken At: Sealife Melbourne Aquarium

Size (length): 260 – 310mm (10.2 – 12.2 inches)

Weight: 600 – 900g (21.2 – 31.8 ounces)

Lifespan: 15-20 years

Population Trend: Stable

Diet: Omnivore, scavenger

Lifestyle: Terrestrial, precocial, oviparous, viviparous, browsing, brumation

Group Name: Lounge

Mating Behaviour: Monogamy

Reproductive Season: September - November

Pregnancy Duration: 5 months

Births per pregnancy: 1-4 young

Independent Age: Several months

Baby Name: Skinklet

Sub Species:

Eastern Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa Asper), located in eastern Australian

Bobtail or Western Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa Rugosa), located in Western Australia

Rottnest Island Bobtail or Rottnest Island Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa Konowi), located in Rottnest Island, Western Australia

Northern Bobtail or Shark Bay Shingleback (Tiliqua rugosa Palarra), located in Shark Bay, Western Australia

Related Species

Adelaide Pygmy Blue-tongued Skink also known as Pygmy Bluetongue (Tiliqua adelaidensis); located north east of Adelaide city from Kapunda in the Light River valley, conservation status: Endangered

Indonesian Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua gigas), located in the island of New Guinea and other surrounding islands

Centralian Blue-tongued Skink also known as Centralian Blue-tongue (Tiliqua multifasciata), located in the far west corner of New South Wales in Australia, conservation status: Least Concern

Blotched Blue-tongue Lizard also known as Southern Blue-tongued Lizard and Blotched Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua nigrolutea), located in south-eastern Australia, conservation status: Least Concern

Western Blue-tongued Lizard also known as Western Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua nigrolutea), located in Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia, conservation status: Least Concern

Common Blue-tongued Skink also known as Blue-tongued Lizard or Common Bluetongue (Tiliqua scincoides), located in Australia as well as the Tanimbar and Babar islands in the Malaku Province of Indonesia, conservation status: Least Concern

Irian Jaya Blue Tongue Skink (Tiliqua sp.), one of the least understood species of blue-tongued skink, has yet to be scientifically classified

Description:

The Shingleback Lizard is one the largest of the Australian Skinks. They have short stubby tails that resemble their heads to a loose degree, the resemblance is enough for the average predator to think the animal has two heads instead of one. Their bodies are covered rather large scales that have a rough and knobby appearance, this gives them an a texture that is similar to that of a pine cone. The scales can vary in colouration from dark brown to a more creamy colour, they have triangular shaped heads with small eyes that are reddish-brown and grey in colour. Their tongues are a bright blue colour which fit inside a bright pink mouth. These lizards are particularly well armored thanks to their large scales and they tend to move rather slowly.

Diet:

This species is an omnivore and is considered an opportunistic predator, that said most of their diet will mainly consist of organic matter such as herbs, seedlings as well as blossoms or fruits that they may come across. The rest of their diet will consist of various insects and other arthropods, snails as well as carrion. These lizards will pretty much eat anything that they come across, this helps them adapt and overcome scenarios where there is a lack of food such as droughts or famines. Their tails also act as a storage of fat which further assists them when there is a low availability of food. Though it does not happen often the Shingleback Lizard has also been seen killing and eating snakes.

Behaviour:

Not much is known how these lizards communicate with one another, it is believed that there is some level of chemical, physical and vocal communication that occurs depending on the situation. Generally these animals live sedentary lives although, they may move around to and from their home area. These lizards are generally relatively docile and other lizards of the same species provided they are from the same family, males from a separate family are likely to be attacked by other males from a different family. It is believed that the pheromones/chemical cue's these animals leave behind allow them to determine if another individual is part of their family or not.

These animals are usually more active during the day as they spend a lot of their time in cleared areas or along roadsides basking in the sun in order to maintain their body temperature. During the night they will sleep among leaf litter or under large rocks and logs for safety, during the colder months they will become a lot less active as they remain deeply buried in their sheltered sites. They may come out during the colder months if the weather is particularly warm on a given day and the sun is shining so that they can bask in the sun some more.

When threatened these animals will try to bluff their way out of confrontation. They will open their mouths wide open and stick out their large blue tongue, as they do this they will hiss violently towards the perceived threat. They may at times flatten their body during this display in an attempt to make themselves seem larger than they really are. If they are close enough to the threat they may attempt to bite. Although these lizards are not venomous they have relatively powerful jaws for their size and their sharp teeth can hurt, if they were to bite a human the wound left would be superficial but would cause great pain, a small amount of bleeding, and a small amount of swelling.

Threats:

Likely due to how armored this lizard is and the way it can pack a powerful bite that is able to dissuade most predators from eating them, that said they will at times be preyed upon be dingoes, Australian pythons, foxes, cats, and humans. Their population seems rather stable and there is no indications that their numbers will drop soon, that said what they are most at risk of dying to appear to be from being run over by cars.

Further Reading (general information):

Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiliqua_…

Related Species Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-ton…

Animal Diversity: animaldiversity.org/accounts/T…

Kidadl: kidadl.com/animal-facts/shingl…

Animalia: animalia.bio/shingleback-lizar…

Backyard Buddies: backyardbuddies.org.au/backyar…