Anatomy: Blue-tongued skinks have a long, bright blue tongue, tiny legs, smooth overlapping scales, and a short, thick tail that stores fat. The tail can break off when grabbed by a predator; it can partly re-grow. This skink grows up to 23.5 inches (60 cm) long.

Diet: Blue-tongued skinks are omnivores (they eat both meat and plants). They eat small animals (like insects, worms, snails and rotting meat) and plant material including flowers, fruit 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). They are mature at about 2 years old.

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