All blue tongue skinks belong to the genus Tiliqua, which can be found throughout Indonesia and Australia. This is a brief overview of all currently recognized blue tongue skink subspecies, with a brief notes on each. It should be noted that Australian species are much more difficult to acquire (in the US) due to strict exportation laws.
Reptiles & Amphibians of Australia, Seventh Edition by Harold G. Cogger was used among the sources for this page.
Blue tongue skinks are becoming an increasingly popular pet reptile, and it’s easy to see why. These docile lizards come in a stunning array of colors and patterns, from jet black melanistics to pure white leucistics. For reptile enthusiasts interested in rare and unique specimens, blue tongue skink morphs offer exciting variety.
In this complete guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about blue tongue skink morphs. We’ll discuss the different color variations morph terminology, how morphs occur, and highlight some of the most popular morphs on the market. Whether you’re a seasoned bluey owner or just learning about these amazing lizards, you’ll find valuable information ahead.
What are Morphs?
A morph is an animal that exhibits a difference in color, pattern, or other physical traits from what occurs in nature. Morphs can occur naturally, but most morphs seen today are from selective captive breeding projects.
By carefully choosing parent specimens that carry certain genes, breeders can produce blue tongue skink babies that express combinations of traits not found together in the wild populations. Over many generations, striking new designer morphs are created.
Some of the most popular morphs feature reduced black, orange, red, or yellow pigmentation. The terms for these morphs are
- Hypo – Reduced melanin and decreased black pigment
- Anerythristic/Axanthic – Very little to no red/orange/yellow pigment
- Albino – Lacking all dark pigment, resulting in white or very pale coloration
- Leucistic – Mostly white with some residual faded pigment
- Hypomelanistic – Decreased black pigment
- Hypermelanistic – Increased black pigment
How do Blue Tongue Skink Morphs Occur?
Morphs arise from genetic mutations that affect pigmentation. These mutations can spontaneously happen in the wild, especially in small isolated populations. Most pet trade morphs, however, are from dedicated breeding projects selectively pairing skinks that carry certain traits.
To create a new morph, breeders must acquire parent stock carrying the desired genes. These are often expensive “het” individuals that don’t display the trait but can pass the genetics on. By combining hets, some offspring in each clutch will express the morph visibly.
With each generation, the breeder uses the morph offspring to create more morph babies. Culling specimens that don’t exhibit the desired traits while consolidating the mutation genes. Eventually a “pure” true breeding morph line is established after many years and generations.
Most Popular Blue Tongue Skink Morphs
Now that you understand the basics, let’s look at some of the most sought after bluey morphs captivating keepers today:
1. Patternless Blue Tongue Skinks
Patternless blue tongues lack the bold dark stripe and facial markings seen in wild type specimens. They display a mostly plain solid color ranging from steely gray to reddish-brown. These hypomelanistic morphs are prized for their uniquely clean and simple look.
2. Albino and T+ Albino
Albino blue tongues have no dark pigment at all, expressing white or very pale yellow coloration. Some retain reddish eyes while others have pink/ruby eyes. Even rarer are the lavender and peach T+ albino morphs with some tyrosinase enzyme activity allowing diluted melanin to show through.
3. Black and White Banded
This striking morph has bold black and white banding reminiscent of zebra stripes. normals have dark brown bands instead of black. The high contrast white and black bands are visually stunning.
4. Hypermelanistic (“Black”)
Hypermelanistics have blackish-gray to jet black skin with faint patterning visible. They lack the brown and tan hues seen in most wild type blue tongues, expressing dark melanin instead.
5. Paradox Albino
A mix of albino and normal traits, the paradox albino morph has white blotches and patches on a colored background. Paradoxes can display small to large irregular albino markings along the body and tail. Each individual has a unique look.
6. Lavenders and Creamsicles
Scalation ranges from pale white to creamy orange. Often retaining striking blue eyes, these blushing pastel-colored blueys are a new and rare color morph.
7. Caramels
Caramel blue tongues exhibit warm golden-brown hues. Normally a Northern blue tongue trait, caramel is a popular color morph. T+ caramels with gorgeous peach and silver coloration are especially valued.
8. Reds and Orange
While orange coloration occurs naturally in some regions, bold vivid reddish-orange morphs are a hit. Ranging from rich pumpkin orange to vibrant crimson, these beauties really stand out.
9. Snow and Blizzard
With pristine white scales lightly dusted with pale gray or yellow along the back, these sparkling clean blue tongues resemble freshly fallen snow. Albino lines were used to create these stunning leucistic morphs.
10. Zero
A jet black melanistic with minimal to no patterning on the body or head. Zero blue tongues live up to their name by being void of any colors except deep black. Very rare and striking morph.
Find Your Perfect Blue Tongue Skink Morph
Part of the fun of bluey ownership is choosing from the many possibilities. Once considered a fairly ordinary pet lizard, the amazing variety of blue tongue skink morphs available today makes building your own customized living art project very achievable.
Blotched (Tiliqua nigrolutea):
Blotched blue tongues grow up to 24″ (60 cm) long and tend to have longer lifespans—up to 30 years. They are native to the southeastern tip of Australia, including Tasmania. They prefer wet and dry sclerophyll forests, montane woodlands, and coastal heathlands for habitat.
Highland blotchies have yellow, orange, and red blotches contrasting with a black background. Lowland blotchies have a similar pattern, but they tend to be much less colorful. The lips are pale gray, sometimes with black spots, and the limbs are speckled. The throat and underside are pale and mostly patternless.
Fun fact: T. nigrolutea was identified as among the fossils in the Pleistocene fossil sites at Naracoorte Caves National Park, South Australia, proving that this species has been around for at least 12,000 years!
Northern (Tiliqua scincoides intermedia):
Northerns (also known as “common” blue tongue skinks) are the most popular blue tongues, having become very tame through generations of captive breeding. Their appearance is overall similar to Easterns, but with some essential differences. They have a relatively streamlined but still robust body, with a triangular head and thick, moderate-length tail. Unlike Easterns, however, they lack distinct banding behind the eyes and display yellow or orange oval splotches along the sides. They grow up to 24″ (60 cm) long and tend to be the largest and heaviest of all blue tongue skinks.
Northern blue tongue skinks are native to northern parts of Australia. In the wild, they can be found in a wide variety of habitats, including coastal heaths, forests, woodlands, grasslands, and suburban areas.
Northerns are the easiest Australian species to find in the United States.
True to their common name, pygmy blue tongue skinks are much smaller than other blue tongue skinks, coming in at just 5-6″ (13.5-16 cm) long. They have a large, triangular head like other Tiliqua, but they have a much more slender body and a short, slender tail. The pattern is typically gray to light brown with dark spots/blotches, and a pale belly.
Pygmy blue tongue skinks are confined to a very restricted area around Mt. Lofty Range and its adjacent lowlands. Its habitat is typically grasslands with variable shrub and tree cover, and is often found occupying abandoned spider burrows.
The pygmy blue tongue skink is the one Tiliqua species that is not available in the pet trade at all. This is because the species is considered seriously endangered and is heavily protected by the Australian government. This guide does not cover captive T. adelaidensis care recommendations for these reasons.
Blue Tongue Skink Morphs!
FAQ
Do blue tongue skinks have morphs?
Morphs in blue-tongues are in their infancy and new ones are being created each year. One offs or rare creations which are in short supply, will be costly. It’s the old ‘supply and demand.
What are the different types of blue-tongued skinks?
| Name | Scientific Name |
|---|---|
| Western blue-tongued skink | T. occipitalis (Peters, 1863) |
| Shingleback, bobtail | T. rugosa (Gray, 1825) |
| Common blue-tongued skink | T. scincoides (White, 1790) |
| Irian Jaya blue-tongued skink | Tiliqua sp. |
What is the friendliest blue tongue skink?
Northerns (also known as “common” blue tongue skinks) are the most popular blue tongues, having become very tame through generations of captive breeding.
What is the difference between Australian and Indonesian blue tongue skinks?
The primary distinction between the Northern and Indonesian Blue Tongue Skinks lies in their respective native regions. Northern Blue Tongue Skinks are found in the northern parts of Australia, while Indonesian Blue Tongue Skinks originate from the Indonesian archipelago.
What is the illness called geographical tongue?
Geographic tongue is a noncancerous condition that causes smooth reddish, patches on your tongue. It’s called geographic tongue because the patch patterns resemble the way that land masses and oceans are shown on maps. You can have geographic tongue without having symptoms. Geographic tongue is noncancerous, doesn’t cause health issues and doesn’t require treatment. The cause of geographic tongue is unknown. Several factors have been proposed as possible causes such as emotional stress, psychological factors, habits, allergies, diabetes and hormonal disturbances. However, none of these factors have been conclusively linked to geographic tongue.
Why do blue tongue skinks have a blue tongue?
Like all Blue Tongue Skinks, the Kei Island morph is known for its iconic blue tongue, which serves as a defensive mechanism against predators. A quick flash of that bright blue tongue can startle potential threats, giving the skink a chance to escape.
What is a sunset blue tongue skink?
The Sunset blue tongue skink is a very orange skink that is a beautiful skink. Only the northern skinks can be called true Sunset blue tongue skinks. 10. Sunrise
What is the typical head shape of a western blue tongue skink?
Western blue tongues grow up to 20″ (50 cm) long and feature a notably short tail, particularly thick body, and a typical triangular head.
What is the Merauke blue tongue skink?
The Merauke Blue Tongue Skink is a relatively large lizard that reaches an average length of 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 centimeters). They possess a robust and elongated body with short, sturdy limbs. Their heads are broad and triangular, featuring a distinctive, bright blue tongue, from which they derive their common name.