Eastern Blue-tongued Skink (Tiliqua scincoides) Fact Sheet: Distribution & Habitat

(Cogger 2014; Shea 2017, except as noted)

Australia and nearby islands

• Occurs across much of Australia
• Also found in Tanibar Islands of Indonesia

Distribution of subspecies

• T. s. chimaera
  • Tanibar Islands, Indonesia
• T. s. intermedia
  • Northern Australia
• T. s. scincoides
  • Southern and eastern Australia
  • Isolated subpopulation in central Australia

Elevation range

• Sea level to 1300 m (Shaw 1992)

Historic distribution

• See “Cane toads” in Threats to Survival

Virtually all habitats in northern and eastern Australia

(Cogger 2014, except as noted)

• Coastal heaths
• Forests
• Woodlands
• Montane forests
• Grasslands
• Human-altered habitats (Koenig et al. 2001; Cronin 2014; Dutson and Dutson 2016, except as noted)
  • Gardens, backyards, parks
    • Eat non-native garden snails
  • Able to live in most cities (Wilson 2012)
    • Few other large Australian lizards live in urban areas
• Not found in rainforests or alps; rarely found in arid interior areas (Cogger 2014; Wilson and Swan 2017)

Habitat preferences

• Ground-dwelling (Cogger 2014)
• Shelter under logs, in dense leaf litter and vegetation, in rock crevices, and in burrows (Horner 2004; Cronin 2014)
• Tend to avoid wet and humid conditions
• In urban areas, use hard surfaces (e.g., concrete, asphalt, piping) to sun bask and for shelter (Koenig et al. 2001; Cronin 2014; Dutson and Dutson 2016)

The eastern blue-tongued skink occurs in northern and southeastern Australia.

Adapted from www.d-maps.com according to IUCN fact sheet. Click here or on map for detailed distribution (IUCN).

The eastern blue-tongued skink prefers dry, temperate habitats. This species also adapts well to cities.

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