Eastern Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua scincoides) Fact Sheet: Diet & Feeding

(Rose 1974; Cogger 2014, except as noted)

Plants

• Wildflowers
• Native fruits
• Berries
• Fungi (Koenig et al. 2001)
• Likely foliage (Horner 2004; Wilson and Swan 2017)
  • Unknown, but likely an important part of their diet

Animals

• Insects
• Snails
• Young ground-nesting birds, rodents, and small mammals (Horner 2004)
• In unusual cases, native frogs (e.g., striped marsh frog, Limnodynastes peronii) (Hobden 2005)
  • Also see “Cane toads” (in Threats to Survival, Population & Conservation Status)
• Also, carrion

Finding and manipulating food

• Rear teeth enlarged for crushing hard foods (Wilson 2012)
  • Snails
  • Insects
  • Fruits
• Bumps (papillae) on tongue surface may improve swallowing ability (Abbate et al. 2009)
• Flick tongue while detecting food (Cooper 2000)
  • Chemicals detected inside the mouth by Jacobson’s organ
• Adapt feeding style to catch faster (vs. slower) moving prey (Smith et al. 1999)

The skink's tongue helps it to detect and swallow food.

Blue-tongued skinks enjoy eating flowers, fruits, leaves, insects—and snails! They have large rear teeth for crushing hard foods.

Image credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.