[3] There are three subspecies:[3] This is a large species of terrestrial blue tongue measuring upwards of 60 centimetres in length and over 1 kilogram in mass.

[5] The tongue is used, like most animals in the order Squamata, to collect micro molecules to deliver to sensory organs as a "smell" sense using the tip.

The tongue of the blue-tongued skink is also useful in catching prey, as it is coated in a sticky mucus to preserve surface tension in motion to draw an insect back into the mouth.

[6] Due to its characteristic blue tongue and its curious nature, it is a popular companion animal in Western countries.

Eastern blue tongues can have a green or yellow phase, they can have eye bands or not, and look different coming from the Brisbane area and others.