The tongue is a fascinating organ that is not only used for licking, breathing, tasting, swallowing, and speaking in humans but also varies widely in color, shape, length, and function across the animal kingdom. While human tongues are typically pink and just over 3 inches long, there are some incredible variations in animal tongues that are worth exploring.
Giraffes have tongues that are an impressive 21 inches long and have a dark color due to the pigment melanin, which acts as a sunblock to protect them while reaching for leaves. Gila monsters have forked tongues that help them smell in “three dimensions,” allowing them to locate prey more effectively. Pangolins have tongues connected to the bottom of their ribcage, which can extend up to 16 inches to snatch up insects like ants and termites.
Sun bears have surprisingly long tongues, measuring up to 10 inches, which helps them extract honey from beehives. Hippos have tongues with mixed morphological features similar to various types of animals, allowing them to digest their herbivorous diet effectively. Penguins have tongues with bristles made of keratin to help them grab krill and fish.
Woodpeckers have tongues that wrap around their skulls when not in use, allowing them to reach deep into trees for grubs. Tongue-eating parasites are creatures that destroy a fish’s tongue and then become a substitute tongue. Lions use their tongues covered in tiny spines to groom their fur effectively.
Giant leaf-tailed geckos flash their bright red mouths and tongues when threatened, emitting distress calls that sound like a child’s scream. Frogs have tongues connected at the front of their lower jaw, allowing them to grab objects faster than the human eye can blink. Blue-tongued skinks use their vibrant blue tongues to startle predators by puffing up their bodies and hissing.
Eagles have tongues with rear-directed barbs to help them swallow prey effectively, while alligator snapping turtles use their tongues as fishing lures to ambush fish. Parrots can adjust their tongues to modulate sound, allowing them to mimic human speech effectively. Emperor tamarins flick their tongues when displeased to communicate with their troop.
Flies have labellums attached to their proboscis, which serve as their primary taste organ for slurping up food. Giant anteaters use their long tongues to eat up to 30,000 ants and termites a day, with their tongues darting in and out of their mouths up to 150 times a minute. Chameleons have tongues that are fast enough to catch speedy insects by transforming into suction cups upon contact.
Hummingbird tongues act as elastic micropumps, allowing them to draw nectar out of flowers and slurp up their food at fast speeds. These fascinating facts about animal tongues showcase the incredible diversity and adaptations found in the animal kingdom, highlighting the importance and versatility of this unique organ.