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Some federal rules applyShingleback skink
Tiliqua rugosa
Reptiles › Lizards (Lacertilia) › Scincidae (Skinks)
Tiliqua rugosa, most commonly known as the shingleback skink, shingleback lizard, bobtail lizard, and the two-headed skink (often simply shingleback or bobtail); is a short-tailed, slow-moving species of blue-tongued skink (genus Tiliqua) endemic to Australia.
Care at a glance
Species-specific values
Values researched for this exact species. Where they differ from the group guide below, follow these. Air, surface and water temperatures are listed separately, and each source is kept as published rather than averaged.
| Humidity | 20–40 % RH Species recommendation | 206 |
| Cool zone temperature | 70–85 °F Source cool-zone wording; measurement surface versus air not explicit | 206 |
| Air temperature night | 65–75 °F | 206 |
| Basking surface temperature | 100–105 °F | 206 |
Care guide
Blue-tongued skinks and Australian/Pacific skinks
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: Woodland, grassland and rainforest. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- For Tiliqua, current ReptiFiles guidance calls for at least 12 ft² of floor area; this does not specify arboreal Corucia housing.
- Deep substrate, a basking spot and UVB.
Climate & lighting
Starting point only: Tiliqua moisture requirements differ by species and subspecies; the 40–60% default excludes Indonesian and arid forms. Check the species-specific values for this animal where shown.
| Basking spot | 95–105°F |
| Warm side / daytime | 82–88°F |
| Cool side | 72–78°F |
| Humidity | 40–60% |
- UVB: Recommended.
Diet
- Blue-tongues: omnivorous mix of lean protein, greens and vegetables. Solomon Islands skinks: strictly leafy greens and vegetables.
Social life
- Tiliqua should be housed individually; do not extrapolate that recommendation to every genus in this guide.
Health watch
- Obesity and retained shed; Indonesian species need more humidity than Australian ones.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
Three of its four recognised subspecies are found in Western Australia, where the bobtail name is most frequently used. The fourth subspecies, T. rugosa asper, is the only one native to eastern Australia, where it goes by the common name of the eastern shingleback.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Tiliqua rugosa” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Tiliqua rugosa, most commonly known as the shingleback skink, shingleback lizard, bobtail lizard, and the two-headed skink (often simply shingleback or bobtail); is a short-tailed, slow-moving species of blue-tongued skink (genus Tiliqua) endemic to Australia. Three of its four recognised subspecies are found in Western Australia, where the bobtail name is most frequently used. The fourth subspecies, T. rugosa asper, is the only one native to eastern Australia, where it goes by the common name of the eastern shingleback. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Trachydosaurus rugosus inhabit semiarid plains and woodlands that typically have a harsh, dry summer and fall, followed by a cool winter and spring with increased precipitation and resources. — Animal Diversity Web |
| Wild diet | The shingle back is an omnivore that would be considered an opportunistic feeder. — Animal Diversity Web |
| Behavior | Trachydosaurus rugosus are colonial in nature, and are therefore not aggressive towards one another. — Animal Diversity Web |
| Reproduction | Trachydosaurus rugosus are viviparous, typically producing 1 to 2 young, although triplets do occasionaly occur. — Animal Diversity Web |
| Lifespan | The shingle back skink has an average life span of about 10 to 15 years, although there is a living and healthy specimen which resides as a captive in England (his name is Stumpy), that is an amazing 35 years old! — Animal Diversity Web |
| Appearance and size | Shingle back skinks are among the largest of the Australian skinks. — Animal Diversity Web |
| History and naming | The shingleback skink has become a popular pet among Australian enthusiasts. They are relatively docile and easy to feed and maintain. A permit may be required to keep them in some states. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Conservation | Trachydosaurus rugosus are quite common in Australia and do not suffer from many natural predators. — Animal Diversity Web |
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 85°F (up to 92°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 43°F (down to 37°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 56–66°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 59–67% on average (driest month about 51%) |
| Rainfall | about 598 mm a year |
Measured at 129 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
Profile
Profile
Researched for this exact species. Sources are listed under In the wild above.
History
The shingleback skink has become a popular pet among Australian enthusiasts. They are relatively docile and easy to feed and maintain. A permit may be required to keep them in some states.
Data and studies
Researched care notes
Researched care notes
Findings checked against veterinary, zoo, welfare, keeper and peer-reviewed sources. Air, basking-surface and water temperatures are kept separate, and where sources disagree both are shown. “Study” notes report what a paper measured, not a universal rule.
Blue-Tongued Skink
Researched for this genus; applies to its species unless a species note says otherwise.
- Surface: ReptiFiles distinguishes a general basking surface of 37–40°C from 40–46°C for Tiliqua scincoides; these are localized surface recommendations, not whole-enclosure air settings.1
- Air / night: the guide gives Australian species approximately 18–24°C and Indonesian species 21–24°C; apply the identified species' requirements rather than merging them.1
- Humidity / taxon difference: Northern and Eastern T. scincoides receive 40–60% RH guidance, versus 60–80% for Indonesian T. gigas; uncertain identification prevents choosing a single genus-wide value.1
- Study: eleven adult T. scincoides showed increased plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D after four weeks of either two or twelve hours of daily UVB exposure.2
- Study limit: this UVB experiment measured a biochemical response under one diet; it does not establish a universal safe lamp distance, UV Index, or supplementation dose for every Tiliqua species.2
- House individually; ReptiFiles warns that territorial disputes can seriously injure co-housed skinks of either sex.3
- Provide substantial horizontal movement space plus sufficient height for furnishings and safely installed lighting; cage footprint alone does not describe the usable setup.3
- Feed a varied omnivorous ration containing suitable plant and animal foods; younger skinks need a different balance from adults.4
- Prepare firm vegetables in finely chopped, shredded or mashable form so they are easier to consume.4
- ReptiFiles — Blue Tongue Skink Temperatures, UVB and Humidity
- Godke et al. (2025) — Measuring the Rise and Fall of Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations with Ultraviolet B Exposure and Withdrawal in Blue-Tongued Skinks (Tiliqua scincoides)
- ReptiFiles — Blue Tongue Skink Enclosure Size Requirements
- ReptiFiles — Blue Tongue Skink Food
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Maximum recorded lifespan
Longest recorded lifespan reported by each database; typical lifespans are usually shorter.
Typical adult weight
Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).
Care articles for this species
Care articles for this species
- The Iconic Australian Shingleback Skink—In The Wild And In Captivity (Reptiles Magazine)
Veterinary & husbandry research
Veterinary & husbandry research
- From anecdote to evidence: experimental validation of fire-cue recognition in Australian sleepy lizards Jolly CJ et al., Biology letters 2025
- The hematology of captive Bobtail lizards (Tiliqua rugosa): blood counts, light microscopy, cytochemistry, and ultrastructure Moller CA et al., Veterinary clinical pathology 2016
- Serpentoviruses in Free-Ranging Shingleback Skinks (Tiliqua rugosa) in Western Australia and South Australia, Australia O'Reilly RL et al., Journal of wildlife diseases 2024
- A mammal tick with a taste for lizard blood: Parasitism by the kangaroo soft tick, (Ornithodoros gurneyi) on sleepy lizards (Tiliqua rugosa) Norval G et al., Ticks and tick-borne diseases 2022
Peer-reviewed papers that mention this species alongside captivity, zoos, veterinary care or aquaculture. Some cover several species or mention it only in passing, so check the abstract. See all 8 on PubMed → 170
Sources for this sheet
- Myhrvold et al. (2015). An amniote life-history database. Ecology 96: 3109 Peer-reviewed researchPeer-reviewed compilation of life-history data for over 21,000 birds, mammals and reptiles.
- Species+ (UNEP-WCMC and the CITES Secretariat) Zoo, university or veterinaryThe official database of species listed under CITES.
- USFWS International Affairs: CITES Zoo, university or veterinaryFederal agency that issues CITES permits.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management and husbandry of reptiles Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional, metabolic and endocrine diseases of reptiles Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- ReptiFiles: Blue-tongued skink care Experienced keeper or breederWell-researched care guide.
- ReptiFiles: Blue-tongued skink temperatures, lighting and humidity Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- ReptiFiles: Blue-tongued skink enclosure size Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- The Reptile Database Peer-reviewed researchScientist-curated catalog of every reptile species, with taxonomy and literature.
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (Global Biodiversity Information Facility) Peer-reviewed researchInternational scientific taxonomy used here for classification.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- PubMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine) Peer-reviewed researchIndex of peer-reviewed veterinary, zoo and husbandry research.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
- Reptiles Magazine (care articles) Experienced keeper or breederEstablished reptile and amphibian hobby magazine; care articles are written by breeders, keepers and veterinarians.
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