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| Mr AC has found a delicious place to bask in the sun |
Blue Tongue Antics
We have undergone a catharsis here. She, the Better Half, no
longer screams on the sight of a Blue Tongue Skink. Not even in the event of a
casual, unexpected crossing of paths. And many of the Blue Tongues no longer
scurry for cover… The nervous parties appear to have made a pact to ease
tensions.
We have been in this home in Sydney’s west for six years
now, and our extended family of Blue Tongue Skinks has become very familiar.
One lives under our air-conditioning unit; another lives in the side passage
among our unused plant pots and under the laundry step; and a third – a
juvenile – inhabits the front yard under our many low-growing shrubs. A number
of others are happy to wander in and out of our back yard under a gap in our
top-side fence.
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| Our front yard juvenile |
Of these fearless animals, the most familiar is the one who
resides under our air-conditioning unit. Mr AC never hurries, simply meandering
from his home to the feeding grounds at the back. He is so familiar that
he allows us to approach him with offerings of juicy cherry tomatoes.
Half-exposed from under the air-conditioner, he squashes the ripe red fruit
with his strong jaws and swallows it down, retreating to his hideaway for a
snooze, then, later, returning to mop up the fallen pulp and seeds.
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| Mr AC devouring his cherry tomatoes |
But… as they say, familiarity breeds contempt… The rascals
among them, one of whom is Mr AC, have begun to take a liking to our home.
Inside the home!
Inside the family room. Inside the laundry. Even inside the
en-suite bathroom! I’m glad the Better-Half was not home for our reptilian
visitations. The screaming might well have recommenced… Not at the lizards, but
at me for leaving the sliding doors open!
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| Mr AC invades the family room |
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| In the laundry chasing a meal of cat biscuits |
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| Maybe there is a dead fly in the bathroom |
So, what breeds such Skinkian familiarity? The answer is
food. A yard full of Blue Tongue delights and a home interior with an
occasional scrumptious fly dessert or two. Not to mention the cat biscuits in
the laundry…
Blue Tongue Skinks are omnivorous, eating both plant and
animal matter. In fact, you might be surprised at the diversity of foods which
they will adventitiously consume. In our yard, they have been seen knocking off
tasty long beans, cherry tomatoes, and sweet fallen papayas… anything on or within
a few centimetres of the ground. One of our adventurous Blue Tongues has even
been trapped in a rat cage, attempting to gobble up the peanut butter used to
lure the occasional passing rat.
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| 'Is it so difficult to get a feed of peanut butter?' This Blue Tongue Skink was released to wander under a neighbour's fence. |
We are happy to have a colony of Blue Tongues. When we first
moved in and began planting, our yard was a haven for snails and slugs.
Hundreds of them! Within a year, we had more Blue Tongues than pests. They are
a wonderful asset in any serious garden so please avoid the use of garden
chemicals… and use absolutely no snail pellets. Blue Tongues can be poisoned by
consuming poisoned snails.
Blue Tongues are not in all parts of Sydney, but if they are
known in your area, you can attract them by creating a Blue-Tongue-friendly
garden. They love places where they can hide or shelter, so your garden should
comprise rocks, mulch, low shrubs and a food supply… even an A-C unit.
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| Blue Tongue Lizards love gardens with lots of hiding places... the back garden |
We are so fortunate to have these large and beautiful lizards
within our domain.
Wishing you hours of enjoyment and contentment in your
garden…
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| Tomato thief |
