BLUE TONGUE SKINKS

*Warning Snake eats Blue Tongue Skink*
http://www.ntwc.org.au/html/blue_tongue.htm

Little guy certainly didn't go down without a fight.

The Blue Tongue may have the last say as he has bitten the snake so both may die.

This makes me chuckle. A BTS bite may hurt but it didn't exactly get the snake anywhere vital. Saying that makes it sound like the BTS is venomous.

Also, that snake is going to be super fat.

And to think what we wouldn't give to have that skink over here...

I was a little disturbed by those photos cos they looked set up, in other words the bluey was fed to the snake. When are you going to see a brown snake and bluey out in the open like that?

Neither species are likely to do that by accident.

quite a few dead on road brown snakes and others are found with tiliqua bulges in there stomachs,thats how they rediscovered the pygmy bluetongue,though on seeing the bulge they thought it was an eastern until they cut the snake open

if you look on you tube,theres a funny instance of a king skink going after a dugite on film

look under kingskink chases dugite,mind u those king skinks are feisty

I disturbed a copperhead on the outskirts of Melbourne once and it darted under an old car door. When I went to investigate a bit later there was a regurgitated blotched bluey only recently eaten. Yes they do it, no argument but not for the cameras.

I agree with what Scott is saying; those pictures look to me to be taken on cut grass such as around a building which also suggests to me they are contrived. If they are it is a bit sad they are published on the website of an organisation promoting its values as a wildlife rescue.

Snakes do predate blueys though; I have first hand experience of a Copperhead preying on blotchies.

Thats a pretty big meal. Wouldn't be surprised if they ended up rolling out into the open from the tussle.

I bet blueys are up against a lot of other predators. Hawks? Any mammals? Monitor lizards?

People always ask me how blueys survive in the wild, mellow captives seem so vulnerable. I guess their secretive habits, good senses, nasty attitudes(and that blue tongue?), and somewhat prolific breeding keeps them going.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3shHK6z2SGE

That is standard modus operandi for a copperhead, they are very secretive generally and regurgitate to make sure of their getaway.

I examined the stomach contents of many road killed Aspidites in the Pilbara of Western Australia over several months in 1990. I found Tiliqua multifasciata in the gut of more than a few Black-headed Pythons and Womas. Centralian Blue-tongues are quite common in the great Sandy Desert and are no doubt an important part of the diet of these pythons in this area.

did u see any centralian blueys active at night casey?in hot weather they can hide during the day and come out at night a bit,another trait that would make encounters with aspidites frequent to,i guess with the heat that alot would find shelter together to

I did see them active at night on occasion. I remember one evening after a rain when there were many newborns on the road. This was the first time it had rained in about a year. I've also seen multifasciata hiding under termite mounds in the open areas that are dug out underneath. I've seen pythons here too. No doubt a place where many encounters between skink and python occur.

nice shots casey,thanks for sharing your obcervations to,i live in aus but have never ventured over to wa,had family in exmouth so had excuses but unfortunatly never got a chance to visit

Stunning photos, and I think that Karen was right saying that the skink sure didn't go down without a fight!

Not much of a contest though against one of the most poisonous snakes in the world.

an eastern brown trying to consume a rugosa aspera,

That snake is eating 3000 USD!!!!

a la carte reptile style,its eating a pack of 2 minute noodles here ML

On a golden plate with diamonds...