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The Centralian Blue Tongued Skink(T. multifasciata • Sternfeld, 1919)
In a class all its own, the Centralian boasts radiant golden coloration and is the envy of most

If we had to choose one word to descibe the Centralian, it would be "Radiant". Beautiful & unique, the Centralian is commonly seen in the wild outback of Australia, but is essentially nonexistent in the United States. Expect to pay anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 for an authentic pair, and that's only if you stumbled upon the rare opportunity to be able to buy them. Ten thousand dollars is a little high, but when they're so rare, the few people who do own them can command whatever price they please. At the Florida Daytona show last year, there was a pair for $10,000 that went unsold. I believe Ben Siegel was selling them, and still has them. A couple years prior to that, there were 8 or 9 babies that did sell for somewhere around the price of $1875 EACH. Centralians are quite easy to identify. They have consistent creamy orange to golden bands, black temporal streaks on each side of the head, a very short tail, and they always seem to have a 'chubby' look to them. One other feature unique to the Centralian is the way they use their tongue. When the tongue comes out, it wags up and down like a snake! It's not just the quick in-and-out motion like you're used to. I've actually heard of the Western occasionally doing this also. Greg can be contacted on the forum, and is one of the only people in the U.S I know to actually own a pair. Centralians are usually known to be pretty laid back, and are very small. Adults can range anywhere from only 13 to occasionally 18 inches.

Distinguishing marks:

    • Thick black temporal streaks
    • Big brawny head
    • Chubby body
    • Very short tail
    • Distinctive golden-orange coloration

See tongue wagging video! (Thanks to Kylie Jarvis for this video)

Map of Centralian Blue Tongue Territory
Great close-up of a true wild Centralian
Another great close-up shot recently submitted by Eric Pianka (318K)












These photos courtesy of SassySkinks



Photo: Paul Horner











Centralian babies