The giraffe has the longest tongue. Who has the longest tongue? Nectar bat

Some animals boast the largest teeth, others have tails, and some have simply astonishingly long tongues.

Bat

The owner of the longest tongue, as much as 8 cm! turned out to be the bat Anoura fistulata. It would seem not a lot, but if you compare this size with the length of her entire body, which does not exceed 6 cm, it turns out quite impressive. She needs such a long tongue to get nectar from an 8-centimeter corolla of a tropical flower. By the way, the tongue does not fit in the oral cavity, so a special place is defined for it in the chest.

Woodpecker

Everyone knows that a woodpecker knocks on a tree to break the bark and get small bugs or larvae from under it, but he grabs them not at all with his beak, but with his tongue 10 centimeters long. At the tip of its tongue there are special hooks with which the feathered one grabs food and drags it into its mouth. But that's not all, do you think the tongue is hiding in your mouth? Not so, it was wrapped around the skull and attached by the root to the nostril.

Echidna

The muzzle of this creature ends with an elongated nose and mouth, nothing unusual, but a long thin tongue is located in the mouth, covered with a sticky liquid that the salivary glands produce, it helps the echidna to collect insects on the tongue. The length of the part of the tongue that can come out is 18 cm and is slightly less hidden in the mouth.

Giraffe

It turns out that the giraffe has not only the longest neck, but also a very long, dexterous tongue about 45 cm long. It is thanks to him that the giraffe easily tears leaves from thorny trees.

Chameleon

This lizard simply could not fail to be included in the list along with its tongue, the length of which is usually equal to the length of the body, on average it is about 50 cm.

Ant-eater

These amazing animals are completely devoid of teeth, but they do not really need them. They feed on termites and ants, which are taken out of the shelter with sticky long tongues. For example, in a giant anteater, it reaches 60 cm in length, and the frequency of movements can go up to 160 times per minute.

Komodo dragon

The largest lizard in the world, the length of which sometimes exceeds 3 meters, also has a corresponding tongue about 70 cm long. Monitor lizards are predatory reptiles and, moreover, poisonous. Having bitten the victim, they can pursue it from several hours to several days, waiting until it falls from the poison.

What animal has no tongue?

At the crocodile!
An adult crocodile can be up to 6 meters long and weigh almost a ton. The crocodile does not have a tongue, but it has 66 teeth, which it renews twice a year (if only we, people, like this: how much money would we save on dentists and dentures!), The crocodile is capable of reaching speeds of up to 40 kilometers per hour in water, therefore, it is impossible to get away from it!

The length of most crocodiles is 2-5 m. Their appearance demonstrates adaptation to living in the aquatic environment: the head is flat, with a long snout; the body is flattened; the tail is powerful, laterally compressed; the legs are rather short. On the front legs - 5 fingers, on the back - 4 (no little finger), connected by a membrane. Eyes with a vertical slit pupil are very high; nostrils and ear openings are closed under water with movable valves. Crocodile skin is covered with rectangular horny plates, which are arranged in regular rows on the back and abdomen. Bone plates (osteoderms) develop under the dorsal and, less often, under the abdominal shields, forming a carapace.

Diapsid skull - with two temporal arches; extinct dinosaurs and modern beak-heads have a similar structure of the skull. The nasopharyngeal passage is separated from the oral cavity by the secondary bony palate, which allows the crocodile to keep its mouth open under water, continuing to breathe through the nostrils exposed above the water. At the same time, a special valve in the depth of the mouth (palatine curtain) does not allow water into the windpipe, and air passes into the trachea along the nasopharyngeal passage behind the valve. Crocodile teeth are of the same type, conical, hollow inside - new teeth develop in these cavities as they wear out. The teeth during the life of a crocodile change repeatedly. In this case, the teeth of the upper and lower jaws are aligned in such a way that the smallest teeth of the second are located opposite the largest teeth of one jaw. The teeth sit in the alveoli, like in mammals. The belly of a crocodile is protected by abdominal ribs that are not connected to the spine. The shoulder girdle consists of a scapula and a coracoid.

In terms of brain development, crocodiles are higher than other reptiles; of the sense organs, they have the most developed vision and hearing. The circulatory system of crocodiles is the most perfect among reptiles - the heart has 2 ventricles, completely separated by a septum. However, in crocodiles, both aortic arches have been preserved, at the intersection of which there is an anastomosis (panitzia hole), and blood can flow from one arch to another. These features promote mixing of blood in the dorsal aorta.

The lungs are complex and can hold a large supply of air. The stomach has thick muscular walls; in it, as a rule, they find stones-touring stones, which are necessary for a crocodile to grind food (according to another version, they move the center of gravity of the crocodile, giving it greater stability when swimming). There is no bladder, which is probably due to life in the water. Excess intracavitary fluid is removed through the abdominal pores. Cloaca in the form of a longitudinal slit, in the back of which males have an unpaired genital organ; on either side of it are glands that secrete a brown secret with a strong musky odor.

Some birds have very long tongues, and there are tongues of extraordinary length among animals. In addition, there is evidence for long languages ​​in humans. It is interesting to know about all these "champions".

The longest tongue of a bird

Oddly enough, but the woodpecker has the longest tongue among all birds. This is not a large bird, its sizes vary from fifteen to fifty-three centimeters, while the tongue reaches sizes from fifteen to twenty centimeters. It turns out that the length of the tongue is several times longer than the beak.

Woodpeckers live almost everywhere, but wooded areas are preferable for their residence. The reason is in the way of life and nutrition of these birds. Their main food is insects living on trees. When foraging, the woodpecker uses its beak like a jackhammer, making holes in the bark of trees in this way. This opens up food passages in which insects hide. With its amazing length tongue the bird pulls them out of these holes.

It's amazing that a woodpecker's tongue can stretch out and become so thin that it can easily penetrate even an ant's passage. There is a special gland on the tongue, due to which the tongue becomes covered with a sticky liquid, which is why insects simply stick to it.

The tongue is anchored in the right nostril, not in the mouth. At the same time, it, dividing into two parts, encircles the head and neck, then it is inserted into the beak through a special hole, where it rejoins. It turns out that at a time when the woodpecker does not use its tongue, it is in the back of the neck, under the skin, and also in the nostril.

A number of experts argue that such a structure of the language is evidence of intelligent activity, and not the result of gradual evolution.

Long Tongue Girls

There is such an expression as "too long tongue." This is often said about those who are not averse to gossiping or discussing a person. However, in the world, people have long languages ​​in the literal, and not only in the figurative sense of the word. It is not clear how an extra-long tongue fits in the mouth of such people.

There are many photos on the Internet in which you can see girls and not only, demonstrating their long tongues. Annika Imler is the official long-tongued woman. The outer part of her tongue is seven centimeters. Another record holder is Chanel Tapper, who lives in California. The length of her tongue is 9.8 centimeters.

The longest tongue in an animal

There are a large number of animals with very long tongues. Until recently, it was believed that a chameleon has the longest tongue. In this animal, the length of the tongue and the length of the body are always approximately the same. On average, the length of the tongue reaches fifty centimeters. In a large and long individual, the tongue is correspondingly longer. It is impossible to see it elongated in full length with the naked eye. Only slow motion can help, since the chameleon's tongue throws out only 0.05 seconds. By making accurate "shots" with their tongues, animals provide themselves with food.

The longest tongue among known mammals is possessed by the South American bat, which is considered quite rare. Her tongue is 1.5 times longer than her body. The bat keeps its tongue in the ribcage, while the tongue somehow contracts three times and sits between the heart and sternum in a special place.

This mammal was discovered only in 2003 in Ecuador. The pioneer was an American biologist, who was quite surprised to find that the tongue was fifty percent longer than the body of a mouse. So, its length is about 8.5 centimeters, and the body length of this bat is about 5-6 centimeters.

The South American bat feeds on the nectar of a flower with an extremely long corolla. Its name is Centropogon nigricans. Only the tongue of this little bat can "reach" the nectar inside this flower. In half a second, the mammal's tongue has time to dive into the “flower tube” for nectar seven times. It turns out that these flowers can only be pollinated by this species of bats. It seems that nature has created them for each other.

The longest tongue in the world

You can sum it up by finding out who speaks the longest language in the entire world. The longest tongue in the world among animals has a chameleon, among all species of birds - a woodpecker, but among mammals it is a rare species of bat that lives in Ecuador. Among the people, the record holder is Stephen Taylor. With an average length of a human tongue of five centimeters, his tongue did not reach ten centimeters in length, only two millimeters. Measurements are made from the center of the upper lip to the very tip of the tongue, that is, only the outer part is measured.

It is impossible not to say about the length of the language of some more representatives of our planet. So, in snakes, the tongue can reach twenty-five centimeters in length, the tongue of cows reaches forty-five centimeters, the giraffe, trying to reach the leaves, stretches the tongue forty-five centimeters. The anteater, deprived of teeth, is forced to get food by means of a sixty centimeter tongue. The largest lizard (Komodo monitor lizard) has a tongue up to seventy centimeters long.

The owner of the longest in the world and at the same time the largest language is the blue whale, which is also called the blue whale. His tongue can be as long as three meters. The whale uses its tongue to filter the krill, which enters its mouth along with water.

The chameleon and the blue whale are definitely unique animals. But there are creatures that are simply amazing. As the correspondents of the site managed to find out, the hair of some dogs is longer than a meter, and some animals are more like plants. You can read more about this in the article on the most unusual animals in the world.
Subscribe to our channel in Yandex.Zen

Just look at these languages!

Our selection contains the longest, most agile and even the fastest languages!

The chameleon's tongue is recognized as the "fastest" in the animal kingdom. Its speed can reach up to 100 km per hour. During the hunt, the chameleon sits motionlessly on a tree branch for a long time and rotates its huge bulging eyes, tracking down prey. Noticing a fly or a grasshopper, he immediately throws out his tongue and grabs the victim, immediately putting his tongue back into his mouth. Thus, this organ appears in all its glory and length only for a fraction of a second, and it can be seen well only in slow motion.

In three seconds, a chameleon can catch up to 4 insects! Also, the tongue of this unusual lizard is incredible in size: often its length exceeds the length of the chameleon's body.

Blue Tongue Skink Tongue

The characteristic feature of this “cute” reptile from Australia is its cobalt blue tongue.

Bat tongue from South America

Scientists have discovered an incredibly long tongue in one of the species of bats from Ecuador. With its help, the animal manages to extract nectar from a flower called Centropogon nigricans, which has a very long corolla. The animal and the plant seem to have been specially created for each other. No one else from the kingdom of animals and insects is able to feast on the nectar of this flower!

Giraffe tongue

Since the giraffe is the tallest animal on the planet, it is not surprising that its tongue is one of the longest - up to 50 cm! In addition, this organ is distinguished by extraordinary strength and dexterity. With its help, the giraffe easily picks off the foliage from the trees; and the stratum corneum, which reliably protects the tongue, allows the animal to feast on acacia leaves without fear of being hurt by the sharp thorns of this plant.

Woodpecker tongue

The woodpecker hunts prey in the following way: first, he gouges holes in the bark of trees with his beak, and then fishes out insects from these holes with his long and sticky tongue.

Anteater tongue

The long and thin tongue of this animal looks like a worm and is covered with a sticky liquid. In a giant anteater, this organ is even longer than that of a giraffe and reaches 60 cm! With it, the anteater, like a fishing rod, catches ants from the anthill.

Okapi language

Okapi is an artiodactyl that lives in the territory of the Congo and looks like a giraffe and a zebra at the same time. The okapi's tongue is so large and long that the animal licks its eyes with it!

Snake tongue

With its forked tongue, the snake collects particles from the environment and sends them "for analysis" into the oral cavity. This procedure allows her to track down prey and anticipate danger. The tongue is constantly in motion, constantly supplying the snake with information about what is happening around. Hence the slang expression "drive with a sting."

Hummingbird tongue

The tongue of these miniature birds is rolled into a long tube. When the hummingbird lowers its tongue into the neck of the flower to drink nectar, its sides are straightened, and before returning to its beak, they are again twisted into a tube.

Frog tongue

The frog's tongue is well suited for catching insects. The frog can throw it forward a few centimeters and cover its prey with it, and so that the victim cannot get out, it is also covered with a sticky substance.

Fly tongue

The role of the tongue in the fly is played by the proboscis, which is divided at the end into two tubes. Through them, the insect sucks food.

Tongue of the Malay bear (biruanga)

The Malay bear, which lives in the rainforests of Southeast Asia, has a long and thin tongue. With its help, this cute bear takes out its favorite termites from hard-to-reach corners.

The main auxiliary function of the tongue is chewing and swallowing food, but living beings do not find any use for the tongue. The feline family, for example, uses the tongue as a kind of comb with which they clean the coat, removing loose hairs from it. In addition, with such a tongue, it is easy to clean meat from the bones of your prey.

The canid family regulates body temperature through their tongue, using it as a conditioner to help cool off on a hot day. The tongue in such animals is the only part of the body that is capable of evaporating moisture. But there are also such representatives of the animal world who use the tongue to get food. They also have the longest tongue of all animals.

Bat

Scientists managed to establish that the owner of the longest tongue among mammals is the bat (lat.Anoura fistulata). Her tongue is 8.5 cm long, which is 3.5 times the length of her own body. Such a long tongue is necessary for a mouse to extract nectar from the Centropogon nigricans flower. And what is interesting, only these bats have adapted to extract nectar from this plant.

We are already accustomed to hearing the sound of a woodpecker (lat. Picidae) in the forest - this is how this bird gets its food from under the bark of trees. But how does he get it? Answer: with the help of a long (about 10 cm) and rough tongue, which is located in a woodpecker in a special cavity of the skull. At the tip of the bird's tongue there is a horny hook, with which it picks up the hiding larvae and pulls them into the mouth.

Often woodpeckers can feed on ants and termites, and in winter they can eat tree seeds. It is worth noting that the woodpecker's tongue is pushed outward with the help of a special tape that goes around the inner cavity of the skull and is attached to the bird's nostril.

Australian echidna

The Australian echidna (lat.Tachyglossus aculeatus) is an oviparous mammal with an elongated tubular nose, at the end of which the nose and mouth are located, in fact, like all representatives of the animal world. But the mouth of this animal is narrow, and the tongue is very thin and long.

In addition, the tongue is covered with a special liquid, which is produced by the echidna's salivary glands and promotes the capture of insects. The tongue of the animal protrudes outward by 18 centimeters, and this despite the fact that part of it still remains in the mouth.

Snakes (lat. Serpentes) are unique reptiles with both a long body and a long tongue (up to 25 cm). With the help of their unusual forked tongue, snakes easily read information about everything that surrounds them.

The snake's tongue is in constant motion. Thus, he selects particles of water, soil and air, analyzing the information received, which allows him to detect prey or a potential enemy.

Cows (lat. Bos taurus taurus) are mammals with a rather wide, rough and long tongue (up to 30-45 cm). The length of the tongue depends primarily on the age and breed of the animal itself. Cows need such a tongue to capture grassy vegetation, which she mows with incisors located on the lower jaw.

The giraffe (lat.Giraffa camelopardalis) is the tallest of all mammals living on Earth. It is not surprising, but sometimes a giraffe does not have enough of his height; therefore, he quite often resorts to the help of his long tongue (45 cm). In addition to the fact that the giraffe's tongue is long, it is also very agile.

With its help, the animal easily picks off foliage from trees and shrubs. It is interesting that the lips and tongue of a giraffe are designed in such a way that they are not damaged at all, neither by thorns, nor by tree branches.

Chameleons

Chameleons (lat.Chamaeleonidae) are the most unusual lizards from the squamous order. One of the most basic features of a chameleon is its tongue, the length of which can reach about 50 cm. Usually the length of this organ corresponds to the length of its owner, therefore, the larger the lizard itself, the longer its tongue.

But to see the chameleon's tongue in all its glory is possible only after accelerated shooting. The whole process of hunting (throwing out the tongue and returning it to its original position) lasts about 1/20 of a second. Interestingly, a chameleon is able to recognize and then catch up to 4 insects in 3 seconds.

Ant-eater

Anteaters (lat.Myrmecophagidae) are devoid of teeth, but they do not need them, since anteaters feed on small insects such as ants and termites.

But they definitely will not do without their sticky and long tongue. For example, in a giant anteater (Latin Myrmecophaga tridactyla), the tongue can reach up to 60 centimeters in length. The frequency of movement of the tongue in an anteater is about 160 (!) Times per minute.

Komodo dragon or Komodo dragon

The Komodo dragon or Komodo dragon (lat.Varanus komodoensis) is the largest lizard in the world. It is also called "ground crocodile". The lizard itself grows up to 3 meters in length, and its tongue - up to 70 cm. Komodo lizards weigh about 70 kg.

This is a large and powerful animal capable of killing even a buffalo. To do this, they should only inflict a wound on their victim, and then only pursue her and wait until she falls dead. The fact is that the lizard's saliva contains many bacteria, which, getting into the victim's wound, cause blood poisoning in her.

Blue whale

The blue, or blue whale (Latin Balaenoptera musculus) is the largest among all living creatures that live on our Earth. In addition, he received the title of "owner of the largest and longest language in the world."

Only the 3-meter tongue of a blue whale is usually measured not in length, but in width, since it is a huge piston that serves to filter krill that enters the whale's mouth along with tons of sea water.

So it turns out that the language of each of the animal species is adapted to the habitat and the way of obtaining food. It is of great importance to each of them. If there were no language, the animal would simply die.