Northerns tend to be a bright orange to soft peachy orange or even a yellowish colour with darker stripes along their sides and backs, with a lighter, creamier colour on their bellies.

Mating is somewhat aggressive, with the male holding the female in place by biting her back.

Blue-tongued skinks are ovoviviparous and give birth to live young.

The offspring appear as smaller versions of the adults with only slight variations to colouring, often darker and becoming a lighter and more vibrant shade with each shed.

Babies are precocial and will wander off on their own and begin eating small insects and fruit a few days after birth.