This Lizard Has a Blue, Ultraviolet Tongue—Here’s Why
When threatened, the northern bluetongue skink brandishes its UV-reflective, cobalt tongue.
When bluetongue skinks are attacked, they don’t curl up or run for cover. Instead, they stick out their vibrant tongues to scare away predators.
This type of reaction, called a deimatic display, is found in other species, although it’s often less colorful. They're meant to overwhelm a predator. A puss moth caterpillar, for example, can fire formic acid from its two flagella when threatened, and a domestic cat will hiss, arch its back, and bare its teeth to warn intruders. (Related: “Why You’re Probably Training Your Cat All Wrong”)
"It's a bit like if you clapped your hands loudly behind someone's head," coauthor Martin Whiting, a biology professor at Macquarie University, writes in
