Baby Blue-Tongue Lizards

Description

• The baby blue-tongue lizard is the younger variety of the species. The typical baby lizard measures 13 to 14 centimeters, or just over 5 inches long. They weigh 10 to 20 g or less than 1 oz. Adult lizards grow up to 1 foot, not counting their tail. Lizards are cold blooded; they rely on heat from the sun to maintain their body temperature. Birth during the summer heat allows for more movement and growth by the baby lizards. Baby blue-tongue lizards, once grown, live up to 20 years in captivity and 30 years in the wild. They eat both plants and animals, which is one reason they make good pets.

Breeding Season

• September marks the beginning of the mating season for adult blue-tongue lizards. Mating continues in the months of October and November. Males seek out females while they avoid predators like dogs and lawnmowers. Many males and females mate with each other over a period of years. From November to late January, the pregnant females spend their time basking in the sun awaiting the live birth of their young.

Litters

• One female can produce over 20 baby blue-tongue lizards. There are six species of blue-tongue lizards, and the number of babies in a litter varies among each species. One species, the Shingleback, produces only three offspring at a time, but each one is 22 cm, or over 8 inches long, weighing 200 g or roughly 7 oz.

Early Life

• Baby blue-tongue lizards face a dangerous time after birth. They are on their own shortly after birth. Without the protective armor of an adult, the baby blue-tongue lizards make a good catch for cats. The few baby lizards that survive must bask in the sun at the beginning of each day to keep up their activity level, thus exposing themselves to further danger.