10 Animals with super-long tongues and how they use them to survive

Chameleon: The chameleon's tongue can stretch twice its body length, shooting out at fast speed to grab unsuspecting insects. It's one of nature's most precise and powerful hunting tools. (Image: Canva)

Giant Anteater: This insectivorous mammal uses its two-foot-long sticky tongue to slurp up ants and termites, ingesting as many as 30,000 insects a day and never having teeth. (Image: Canva)

Pangolin: The tongue of the pangolin extends longer than its entire body, minus the tail. It's covered with sticky saliva for catching ants and termites deep inside their homes. (Image: Canva)

Woodpecker: A woodpecker's long, barbed tongue wraps around its skull when retracted. It probes deep into tree bark in order to extract hidden insects; it acts like a flexible spear. (Image: Canva)

Giraffe: The 45-cm-long tongue of a giraffe helps it pluck leaves and twigs from tall acacia trees. Its dark colour protects it from sunburn during long hours of feeding. (Image: Canva)

Sun Bear: This little bear has an extremely long, worm-like tongue, perfectly suited for licking honey out of hives and stealing insects from deep crevices. (Image: Canva)

Blue-tongued Skin : The blue-tongued skink flashes its bright blue tongue to deter predators. The bright colour is a startling defence but has nothing to do with feeding. (Image: Canva)

Eagle: Although not as frequently observed, eagles have powerful tongues that help them manipulate and swallow their prey efficiently. It helps them tear flesh and push food down their throats. (Image: Canva)

Penguin: A penguin's tongue has backward-facing spines that grip onto slippery fish, while rough barbs around the tongue prevent prey from escaping once caught underwater. (Image: Canva)

Hippopotamus: Despite its huge mouth, a hippo’s tongue helps guide vegetation and pull grass into its jaws: thick, muscular, and astonishingly agile for so a bulk of an animal. (Image: Canva)