The Blue-tongued Lizard
For those who follow the blog closely, you’ll know how I love to enrich your life with various snippets of wildlife information, dressed with photos taken by yours truly. Among those, there have been a number of reptiles, such as, skinks, and a barking gecko.
The other week, on a warm and sunny Spring day, Brecca began barking outside. We’ve got to the stage where we can actually tell whether she’s barking at someone walking past with a dog, or barking at something of interest. This time, we knew she’d found something — our first Blue-tongued Lizard!
I may be wrong, but I think it’s an Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard. I’d say it wasn’t far from being a foot long. It found it’s way into a hole at the side of the house before I got a chance to take a photo, and I had to wait patiently for it to come out. However, each time it came out, it would quickly flee into the hole again before I’d get a photo. I then tried to drop a brick in front of the hole when it left the next time, but I didn’t cover it properly, and it managed to squeeze through, and disappear again.
Finally, I decided to get the plasctic garden rake, and when it came out again, I used the rake to divert it away from the hole, so that I could get a few shots of it. The joys of wildlife photography!
Wow, that thing looks pretty cool. It also looks like it would bite you hand off.
I assume it’s harmless?
Deron - Well…I wouldn’t say harmless exactly. If you stick your finger near its mouth it’ll bite, and although it’ll not take your finger off, they’ve got jaws like a vice. You could probably shake it off, but it would take a bit of effort.
They are cool to have in the garden though. Some people have them as pets, and they’ve been known to live for 30 years.
Ah I see.
I say you stick your finger near it’s mouth and let it bite and see if you can shake it. Only video tape it and put it here on your blog?
Deron - hmmm…well maybe if the video became as popular as Miss South Carolina’s, and brought me in heaps of visitors, I’d consider it! (joke)
Armen your place must be a zoo for reptiles as I hardly see any at my place let alone a Blue-tongued lizard.
If you don’t stick your finger near it’s mouth maybe you should ask Melanie if she will. (only joking)
Andrew - Not quite a zoo, but I enjoy the few little creatures which we do have here.
Plus, I think we’d miss most of them if it wasn’t for Brecca letting us know.
Maybe I’ll pick it up, and get it to bite her when she’s not looking?
Armen…I can’t believe you said this ! LOL!
Well, I am really seeing if I can “blockquote”
OH…I like the 15 minutes edit time!
Glenn - Ah, you know me…just a bit of playful banter!