Pangolins’ tongues can extend more than their body length, sometimes reaching 40 cm. They are coated in sticky saliva, ideal for collecting ants and termites. Tongues retract into a specialized sheath in the chest cavity. The long, sticky tongue reduces digging effort and maximizes insect intake. Muscles and cartilage support rapid extension and retraction. This adaptation is critical to a specialized insectivorous diet.
Tongue specialization increases energy efficiency. Pangolins harvest more food with less effort.
It’s a remarkable evolutionary solution to diet specialization. Form follows function in extreme ways.
Pangolins’ tongues can flick out and retract 160 times per minute during feeding.
Smithsonian National Zoo (si.edu)