Pop quiz, hotshot!
What animal is slow-moving, from Down Under, and the proud possessor of an iconic blue tongue?
Nope, it's not a koala after a blueberry binge.
It's the Blue-Tongued Skink.
Hi, I'm Danielle Dufault and you're watching Animalogic.
Ah, skinks.
These scaly scamps are a type of lizard.
Skinks generally have short legs, no neck, skulls with bony scales,
and the ability to regenerate their tail.
The Blue-Tongued Skink checks off each and every one of those boxes.
A classic skink!
But there's something that makes them unique: their bright blue tongue.
There are eight different species of Blue-Tongues, and most are roughly 40 to 60 centimetres long.
Except the pygmy Blue-Tongue, he's only about 18 centimetres.
Awww.
All of these different species are found in Australia,
though one of them also lives in Papua New Guinea.
You can find them on the coast, the outback, in backyards, gardens, and more.
The tiny Pygmy Blue-Tongue hides in spider holes in the grasslands,
while Indonesian Blue-Tongues prefer a humid rainforest.
Some skinks are city dwellers.
Watch out for cars, little guy.
Unfortunately, most of the species are declining and some are endangered.
The culprits are invasive predators, such as cats and foxes, and habitat destruction.
Some species hide in spider holes or rabbit burrows,
but these are disappearing due to farming and mining.
So they have nowhere to hide.
They are fairly gentle creatures, which makes them super popular pets.
Unfortunately, it also means they're pretty lousy at defending themselves in the wild.
Try getting away on these stubby little legs.
You probably couldn't outrun a hungry predator.
Luckily, nature kind of made up for these weaknesses by giving the skinks their
iconic blue tongue, which it flashes when it's face to face with danger.
They use that blue tongue as a defense mechanism.
Because that shade of blue is extremely rare in nature,
it's a great startle technique while hissing to try and scare off predators.
It's a form of aposematism, which is when animals signal to potential predators
that they won't make a good meal.
See my bright blue tongue?
That bright colour could mean I'm venomous.
Another way they defend themselves is by hissing and
puffing up to look bigger than they actually are.
I would try and do that too if i couldn't run so fast.
I mean, look at those tiny little legs!
But who would eat this cute little guy?
Well, the list is long: dingos, cats, foxes, other lizards, and snakes.
Why does it have to be snakes?
Speaking of snakes, Blue-Tongued Skinks frequently get mistaken for them.
Maybe it's their long scaly bodies and the slithery way they move on the ground.
If you're in Australia, finding one of these
is a nice change of pace from running into venomous snakes.
It depends on the species, but a Blue-Tongued Skinks diet is pretty standard for a lizard.
Bugs, beetles, cockroaches, and other small invertebrates.
Some species are known to eat berries and plants.
But all Blue-Tongues have to be careful when they chow down in gardens.
People use insecticides to poison bugs, slugs, and snails.
And if a skink eats a poisoned garden pest, they get poisoned too.
Another cool thing about the Blue-Tongued Skinks is that they give birth to live
babies instead of eggs, which is very rare in the lizard family.
But what's cooler than live skink babies?
Detaching your own tail.
Yep, it's the worst case scenario,
but skinks can choose to drop their own tails by breaking their tail vertebrae in half.
It's called autotomy.
They can use this unique skill when they're about to be eaten.
Dropping their tails distracts the hungry hunter.
So while this guy escapes, his big fat juicy tail is wiggling
around on the ground for the predator to go after.
And this guy gets to live another day.
Of course, there is a dark side to losing your tail.
A tailless skink looks smaller, may seem less desirable to potential mates,
and losing all that extra fat isn't great during the cold winter months.
Luckily, they are able to grow it back.
So as far as defenses go,
these harmless hunks pretty much just have the blue tongue and tail dropping.
Not exactly cunning warriors.
But hey, what's wrong with being a stubby-legged sweetheart with a statement blue tongue?
Absolutely nothing!
All hail the Blue-Tongued Skink.
Let's take a look at a family of animals that couldn't be further from the Blue-Tongued Skink.
Given how amazing the nature programming on PBS is,
we just had to talk about their new three-part series, 'Primates'.
Shot over two years, on 28 expeditions, 'Primates' captures rare footage that's absolutely bananas.
Trust me, you need to see it for yourself.
The first episode of 'Primates', titled 'Secrets of survival',
dives into how primates have managed to not only survive, but become kings of the jungle.
You'll witness bush babies plan and execute an after-hours raid at a zoo to find food,
and the rise of a lemur jungle pharmacy.
You can watch the episode right now on the PBS video app or at pbs.org/primates.
Episode 2 goes live Wednesday, November 11th, at 8/7 Central on PBS.
And if you miss it, you can check it out online or by using the app.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go mentally prepare myself for all of the cuteness.
Thank you for joining us here at Animalogic and we'll see you on the next episode.
So what should I talk about next?
What do you think?
Please let me know in the comments and be sure to
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Thanks for watching, see ya!