dark blue

Bluey! Some days ago this was the first eastern blue-tongued skink, Tiliqua scincoides scincoides that I'd seen for a while — a sign of Spring's arrival. I've seen three now. The others were smaller and more pale. One was being mobbed by birds, the other was simply lazing on their patio in the sunshine. I say they because its gender isn't obvious.

 

This one is very dark. A lot of the reptiles here are, including the tiger snakes. Striped alike, it's always a good idea to look for the chunky head, the ear and legs — all things absent on the timid but highly venomous tiger snake. This colouration is possibly an adaptation to this cold climate. See here how this bluey is flattened out like a reptilian solar panel? Normally, they'd be more round.

 

It was cool this morning when I went this way to lop some of the older wattles. Now I need to fell a dead one. This is a chainsaw job. Blue is a bit sleepy so before I grab the saw, I'll race back and pick up a camera. I feel a bit bad about all the noise I'll make. But it won't take long, hopefully they'll be warmed up by then, and they can settle back into whatever's planned in their day.

 

 

Done