Why does a giraffe have a long tongue?
The giraffe’s long tongue allows it to reach the highest, tastiest leaves while avoiding the sharp thorns. Its tongue also features a thick, tough layer that protects it from being cut by the thorns. Thus, giraffes have less competition for acacia leaves. Acacia leaves are also an important source of water.
Why do giraffes have long tongues for kids?
Giraffes use their long tongues to wrap around leaves that grow at the tops of trees, so this type of “sunscreen” helps to prevent them from getting sunburned while they eat. Another danger is that there might be thorns hiding among those delicious green leaves.
Which animal has the longest tongues?
The longest tongues:
| Animal | Tongue | Body |
|---|---|---|
| Giant Pangolin | 27.5 inch (70 cm) | 39.3 inch (100 cm) |
| Giraffe | 21.2 inch (54 cm) | 236 inch (600 cm) |
| Sun Bear | 9.84 inch (25 cm) | 55.1 inch (140 cm) |
| Tube-Lipped Nectar Bat | 3.3 inch (8.5 cm) | 1.9 inch (5 cm) |
How does a giraffe use its tongue?
Their tongues are prehensile, meaning they have the ability to grasp things. They use their clever tongues to pull leaves from the trees, as well as grab seeds, buds, and grass. So the extra length is also useful for aiding dexterity when finding and picking leaves among the thorns.
Why don t giraffes have top teeth?
That’s because giraffes, like cows and other cud-chewing ruminants, don’t have any upper incisors. They appear to be missing their top front teeth. Instead they have a hard dental pad to help them get lots of vegetation into their mouth.
Which animal has the longest tongue giraffe?
Giraffes. If you’ve ever seen a giraffe’s impressive 21-inch-long (53 cm) tongue, you’ll know that it’s not pink. Rather, the tallest living animal in the world has a dark-colored tongue that looks like a mix of purple, blue and black.
Which animal has a 21 inch tongue?
Giraffes
Giraffes use their height to good advantage and browse on leaves and buds in treetops that few other animals can reach (acacias are a favorite). Even the giraffe’s tongue is long! The 21-inch tongue helps them pluck tasty morsels from branches.
How does a long tongue help animals?
This length allows them to eat leaves and foliage off of all branches and vines. Their tongues are also thick to protect them from thorns on branches and black to purplish in color to help prevent sunburn. These animals have such long tongues, they can even use them for cleaning their ears and eyes!
How strong is a giraffe tongue?
5. Tongue Twisters. Giraffes didn’t only evolve long necks to reach the juiciest leaves at the top of the tree—they also have incredibly long and powerful tongues. A giraffe’s tongue can extent up to 45cm, easily stripping a tree of its juiciest leaves.