Blue tongue skinks come from Australia and are one of the largest skinks in the world reaching up to 38cm or 15inches in length. They get their name from the colour of their tongue which they use to “taste” the air in a similar way to snakes. When being attacked the skink opens its mouth wide, to a predator the bright colours of its big fleshy tongue look very startling and may make the predator to loose interest. They have long slender bodies and short stubby legs which help them to move underground and through loose leaf litter. They spend a lot of time undercover but will venture out into the open in search of food. Being omnivores the diet of this lizard is varied, they will eat fruit, berries, vegetation, eggs, insects and invertebrates. Skinks are famous for their smooth, shiny scales and although they look wet they are actually dry, in fact the scales are designed to prevent moisture leaving the body.