1. The sticky tongued Ant-eater: The longest mammalian tongue
The Giant Anteater has the longest tongue in the mammalian world. Can you imagine it has a two feet long tongue? Not only that, the anteater can flip out its tongue 150 times per minute! The tongue of the anteater is sticky and spiky and picks up bugs from the ground in the matter of seconds without getting bit. Even though the anteater has poor eyesight, its sense of smell is 40 times stronger than that of a human being. The anteater mashes the ants at the roof of its mouth before engulfing them and feeds on about 35,000 ants a day!
2. Is it the tongue or is it something more sinister?
Here are some amazing facts for you - The Cymothoa exigua or the tongue-eating louse is a parasitic crustacean that enters through the gills of a fish and sits atop its tongue. By extracting blood from the tongue of the fish with the help of its claws, the parasite induces atrophy (wasting away) of the fish tongue. The tongue of the fish falls out and the parasite now occupies the new position. Other than acting as the tongue of the fish, the parasite produces no further damage to its host. The parasite lives by drawing blood from the fish or feeding on its mucus. After the fish dies, the parasite detaches and clings to the body of the fish. This is the only know example of a parasite replacing an organ of its host.
3. The blue tongued Skink-Unique defence organ
The blue tongued skink is an interesting reptile that resembles a snake but is actually a type of lizard. It has small digits on its body, is a slow mover and is unable to climb trees. It has a body colour which camouflages it in leaf litter. However, that may not be enough to save this species from the watchful eyes of predators in the Australian wilds. So, how does the skink save itself? The blue tongue of the skink is its only defence system. In the animal world, where colours really matter, the blue tongue of the skink helps to ward off predators with its poisonous symbolism. In truth, the blue skink is actually defenceless and non-poisonous. Blue tongued skinks are omnivorous in nature and are often kept as pets in homes (However, it is always preferable to keep wild animals in their natural habitats).
4 and 5. Okapis and Giraffes : Possessors of the famous prehensile tongues
Okapi is a close relative of the giraffe and is found in parts of Africa. This beautiful animal was discovered in 1900's Presently, the okapi is endangered with a few thousands of this creature surviving in the wilds. It has an 18 inches long tongue that can reach both its eyes and ears! Its tongue can also be used to strip leaves and buds from plants.
Another fascinating creature, the giraffe, has an equally fascinating tongue. Its tongue is usually 18-20 inches long and prehensile. The tongue has thickened papillae which protects the tongue from thorns on African vegetation. The tongue of the giraffe has a dark colour and it is believed that the colour protects the tongue from sunburns during long exposure periods while feeding on plants.
6. The blue tongued Chow Chow
The Chow Chow is a Chinese dog breed that is believed to have been used as temple guards in China, Mongolia and Tibet. Later on, the dogs were used for various purposes like hunting, herding, guarding, etc.One of the most unique feature of the Chow Chow is its blue-black tongue. Chow puppies are born with a pink tongue but gradually the colour changes to blue-black. This is why the Chow Chow was used as temple guards in ancient China. The dark tongue of the dog was believed to ward of evil spirits. Often people with another dog breed consider their dog to have Chow Chow ancestor if their dog has dark spots on their tongue. The only other canine breed sharing this trait of the Chow Chow is the Chinese Shar Pei.
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