Like a lot of us, this snake is taking on more than it can chew.

Photo credit unknown. Via Haha.nu.

I had to use TinEye image search (full discloser I think TinEye is pretty neat) to figure out it was a Mexican mole lizard, also known as the ajolote lizard, although when I searched for other pictures of it, it was either the same picture (so it could have just been mislabeled) or the picture was of a completely different animal.

But then I found a video, which is obviously of the same thing. It is really cool. BUT THE OWNER DISABLED EMBEDDING. Why would anybody do this? HERE IS A LINK TO IT ANYWAY, because it’s cool. Only 324 views in two months. It deserves better than that.

Thanks Mr. Self Destruct of the Something Awful forums for finding this picture. Although I would also like to thank the person who took the picture, but tineye couldn’t help me find the photographer. ALSO, video owner person: don’t disable embedding!!! I almost didn’t use your video because of that, and I only ended up using it because it is like, way cool. But disabling embedding: totally not cool?

That smile… I know I’m in for trouble, but it’s so deviously charming.

Photo by Matt Hansen who seems to have taken a number of pretty cool pictures.

These people say they found them like that. It is the best thing.

Thanks Mirick from the Something Awful Forums!

Blue-tongued skinks are named after them.

Via Bill Hughes’s Flickr photostream.

Some rattlesnakes have them.

Via The Horned Jack Lizard’s Flickr photostream.

The members of giraffidae, the okapi and the giraffe, have them.

Via djhinrich Flickr photostream.

Via zeandroid’s Flickr photostream.

And it’s one of the most notable features of the chow chow.

Via budak’s Flickr photostream.

I doubt there is a common explanation for all instance of blue tongues. The Wikipedia article on Northern Blue-Tongued Skinks says that they “have a bright blue tongue that is often used to warn off or startle predators.” While it’s clear they’re not closely related at all, it seems like a plausible explanation for the rattlesnake as well, as their “rattles” are also used to warn off predators.

It’s hard to imagine that’s true for the members of giraffidae and the chow chow though, giraffes being so tall it’s difficult to imagine any predators even seeing the tongue, and dogs usually being predators not prey. The page on giraffes on the San Diego Zoo’s website says “some people think the color is to keep the tongue from getting sunburned,” which I guess might be possible, but it doesn’t seem to explain its relative the okapi, which I imagine wouldn’t have too much risk of getting sunburns, as its short enough to get shade from tree cover, and lives in the rainforest, where there often isn’t too much sunlight that reaches the ground anyway. I wasn’t able to find an explanation for the okapi’s tongue color, most sources were more interested in the fact that they were able to lick their own ears.

I wasn’t able to find an explanation for the chow chow either, but I imagine that it’s due to human controlled breeding.

My favorite explanation for all of these tongues though is that they just eat blueberries.

Via Malingering’s Flickr photostream.

From the Flickr description:

A juvenile emerald tree boa serves as an unwitting perch to a recently awakened red eyed tree frog after a misting. The snake and several frogs cohabitated for quite some time without incident. Perhaps due to an unpalatable flavor brightly colored frogs often advertise.

It should be noted that the red-eyed tree frog is not actually venomous. The snake likely would not know that, so if the snake is able to detect the color of the frog, this explanation might be correct. Still, I wonder if there’s anything more to it?

Via Tom’s Flickr photostream.
Thanks Kimberly!

From the Flickr description:

After Farl’s gorgeous shot of the little Brookesia in Madagascar, I thought I’d share an old shot I have one of one of my little ones.

It’s not the same, taking pictures in the backyard… but I’ve had these little guys as pets for years… (Farl, it’s more a geeky thing to know what I do ).

Anyways, this is a Rhampholeon brevicaudatus one of the dwarf chameleons from the main African continent. It’s about 3/4 full grown, and perched on my finger.

Via Ian’s Flickr photostream.

Via Mike Smail’s Flickr Photostream!

Via Jude’s Flickr Photostream

(Oh, I should say, I am thinking about putting a small watermark on hotlinked images (images that are being hosted on uglorable.com but are being displayed on other sites), something that says the image is being hosted on uglorable.com and that attribution details can be found by going to the site. I feel like a jerk doing that though, because almost none of these pictures are really ours. It would allow people to find the original photographer though, and promote our site a little bit. What do you think? Leave a comment. Aaand this made this not so quick of a post.)