The weirdest (and coolest) tongues in the animal kingdom - Cella Wright
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An alligator snapping turtle lures its prey using a blood-engorged tongue that resembles a wriggling worm. And it’s far from the only animal doing tongue trickery. Tongues in the animal kingdom vary widely — from texture and length, to shape and dexterity. So, what's the point of having so many different kinds of tongues? Cella Wright explores how different species use the appendage to survive.
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According to scientists, tongues assisted animals in their transition to land by making it possible for them to ingest food without suction. Because tongues share this evolutionary origin but lack a definitive definition, there are debates within the scientific community over what constitutes a “true tongue” versus a “proboscis” — an elongated sucking mouthpart found on many mammals and insects. This Smithsonian Magazine article, for example, looks at a moth species with the longest insect “tongue” on record. “Tongue,” however, might be a misnomer in this case.
For a sample platter of some of nature’s most impressive tongues, check out the following reports: There's a South American bat whose tongue is 150% the length of its body, a chameleon with a tongue faster than a sports car, and a salamander whose tongue can explode with 18,000 watts of power.
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Meet The Creators
- Educator Cella Wright
- Director Igor Coric, Artrake Studio
- Narrator Susan Zimmerman
- Composer Cem Misirlioglu
- Sound Designer Cem Misirlioglu
- Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
- Produced by Sazia Afrin
- Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
- Editorial Producer Cella Wright
- Fact-Checker Charles Wallace
- Expert Consultant Kurt Schwenk, Sam Van Wassenbergh