Have you ever giggled at the way someone you know eats their favorite snack? Maybe your sister slurps her juice in the morning, or Grandpa clicks his tongue every time he licks an ice cream cone. If you think that’s strange, you haven’t seen anything yet! Check out the weird ways these animals eat and drink – then you’ll really have something to chuckle about.
The Chameleon: It’s Tongue Is Longer Than Its Body
Imagine sticking out your tongue to lick an ice cream cone only to discover that it is longer then your entire body is tall. Imagine how the chameleon feels. Yes, it’s tongue is one and half times longer than its entire body; plus it is lightning fast! While it makes grabbing prey quick and easy, how would like tucking that thing back into your mouth when you were done? I bet it's a real hassle.
The Okapi Licks Its Own Eyes and Ears
Washing your face takes on a whole new dimension if you are an Okapi (an animal that is related to the giraffe but looks like a zebra). You see, this unique animal has a tongue so long that it often uses it to lick their own eyes and ears. That’s isn’t the only reason it has such a long tongue: it’s mainly used to strip leaves off of tall trees for a lunchtime break.
The Sand Grouse Soaks Up Water with Its Feathers
Now here’s a unique way to take water back to its babies in the nest used by the Sand Grouse: soaking up the liquid into the feathers. Yes, it's true, this ingenious bird simply soaks up water into its feathers (much like a sponge) and then flies back to the nest where the baby chicks suck it out.
The Thorny Devil Doesn’t Need a Tongue
This Australian lizard doesn’t lap up water like most other creatures; it uses a more unique way to hydrate. This spiky-looking lizard pools water in the grooves of its skin and then funnels it towards the corners of its mouth to grab a drink. Seems like a lot of extra work just for a sip of water, don’t you think?
The Puppy Cup
Have you ever taken a good look at your dog when he drinks? I bet that you never noticed that he actually bends his tongue in a way that creates a small cup to help him take in more liquid. Don’t you wish you could do that too? If you could you’d always have a cup with you that is ready to fill with your favorite drink.
Snakes Drink Through Their Skin
Who needs to slurp a drink with their mouths? Not snakes! They use a more unique method to take in the water they need; it’s called capillary action. How does it work? Basically the snake's skin can soak up the water it needs to stay hydrated without ever swallowing a drop.
The Sticky-Tongued Pangola
How would you like it if everything that touched your tongue stuck to it? Would you find it annoying? The Pangola doesn’t. As a matter of fact, it makes gathering enough tasty ants to eat much easier. A cousin to the famous anteater, the Pangola sports an ultra-sticky tongue that ants can’t escape. One touch and the little critters become an instant snack.
I bet that you don’t know how many interesting ways animals have of eating and drinking. Lucky for humans, we have mouths and strong teeth to help us eat and drink virtually anything we want. But remember, it’s important to keep your teeth strong and healthy in order to be able to chew properly. So be sure to call Wright Smiles Pediatric Dentistry today to make an appointment!
