During a brief wander at Studley Park this week, I stumbled upon a Blue-Tongue lizard - in fact a Blotched Blue-Tongue (Tiliqua nigrolutea) if we want to be specific.
Blue-Tongues are large skinks - with this animal being about 45cm long. As is the way with these animals, it was really doing all that much - just passing through as it looked for food.
When I was checking through the images I took at home, I noticed the two creamy white objects behind the lizards from leg. (Best seen in the 3rd picture) With the help of some people on a reptile forum I was able to find out that they are ticks - apparently most blue-tongues carry a few. When I found this out, my toes curled up a bit!
In the second picture, you can see why these skinks are known as blue-tongues!
More pictures from around the world at Our World Tuesday. SM
Blue-Tongues are large skinks - with this animal being about 45cm long. As is the way with these animals, it was really doing all that much - just passing through as it looked for food.
When I was checking through the images I took at home, I noticed the two creamy white objects behind the lizards from leg. (Best seen in the 3rd picture) With the help of some people on a reptile forum I was able to find out that they are ticks - apparently most blue-tongues carry a few. When I found this out, my toes curled up a bit!
In the second picture, you can see why these skinks are known as blue-tongues!
More pictures from around the world at Our World Tuesday. SM
He looks too much like a snake for me..Ticks too..yucky..Have a fun week..
ReplyDeleteAwesome snake shots!
ReplyDeleteHappy Week to you,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Good reason not to handle them!
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteI had a 'tame' blue-tongue in my compost heap in Sydney. My dog and cat were friendly with it and it ate all the snails which plagued my mailbox. Useful little tackers! YAM xx
Those ticks are quite a size. I always imagined them not to be visible to the naked eye. Great spot though Stewart.
ReplyDeleteI love the Blue-tongue, Stewart, but I'm not so keen on the ticks. I'm very wary of them now. I was ill for a couple of months when I got three tick nymphs on my hand after putting it down in grass at Machu-Picchu! I know someone who's a 'tick magnet' - he goes to Scotland every year and seems to get one or more most years! Greetings from UK - - Richard
ReplyDeleteThat is a lorge one. I would probably be scared if I met one. We don´t have any like that. :)
ReplyDeleteNo tics is fun!
Ticks! Yuck!
ReplyDeleteBut those are great photos of an interesting animal.
Have a wonderful week!
Its tongue is oh so blue! Tics seem to infest even wild lizards! Great photos.
ReplyDeletecool critter.
ReplyDeleteIck, for his traveling companions.
Poor thing! I hate ticks!!!! I've seen pictures of deer with their faces just covered! It's so horrible. Loved your photos...you got a great shot of his blue tongue!
ReplyDeleteI agree with most of the folks above - I am not a big fan of ticks! I must admit I have never seen a white tick! I will focus on the lizard, ok?
ReplyDeleteThat blue tongue is beyond cool!!!!
ReplyDelete