Are You Sticking Out Your Tongue?

Giraffes have some impressive flexibility.

Howdy! It’s Joey, back with more Fun Fact Friyay. Before we begin…

I’m sharing the Zeke Archer Basketball Trilogy from Craig Leener. I have written one book in my life—Craig has written four of them, which means you have four times as many to enjoy. And this is a terrific collection, with fast-paced action and dialogue and a blend of sci-fi, coming-of-age, and thriller.

Get it for the basketball fan in your life, or dig it if you enjoy a good story with a solid message. Learn more here.

Now, onto the fact!

Photo by Aidas Ciziunas on Unsplash

Giraffes clean their ears, nose, and eyes with their tongues.

If you know one thing about giraffes, it’s that they’re very tall. If you know two things about giraffes, it’s that their tongues are long and kinda strange. If you know three things about giraffes and are a subscriber to Fun Fact Friyay, it’s that they have the same number of vertebrae as humans.

Today, we’re diving into the second fact. A giraffe's tongue grows between 18 and 20 inches long on average. And it’s a big ol’ tough tongue.

It rarely gets cuts despite eating from thorny plants, and its saliva is an antiseptic to help protect the giraffe from infection. It’s also a darker color to avoid sunburns since giraffes typically don’t walk inside a building when it’s too hot in the wild.

The tongue also has the ability to grasp objects—probably not too dissimilar to how some people can tie a cherry stem with their tongue, though that is not a skill I possess—which comes in handy for keeping clean.

The grippy and antiseptic properties of the tongue, plus that length, allow the giraffe to clean its face, getting inside the nose, eyes, and ears to ensure things are thoroughly sanitized.

I fed a giraffe one time and was impressed by how easily it snagged the food out of my hand despite not really using its mouth at all. Now, it’s all clear. I also am unsure if he took that food before or after giving his ear a deep prod. Hopefully the former.