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.

I plan to change web hosts today, if anything weird happens, that is probably why! If all goes well, there won’t be a thing to notice but faster page loads!

Edit: I’m sorry for all the trouble this has caused! I have decided to move back. I guess this was another learning experience???

Via Ryan Harvey’s Flickr photostream.

(I’m all for political discourse and activism, but please don’t make any political comments, a comment made on an animal blog is not going change anybody’s mind.)

SEE YOU TOMORROW

Via zoomar’s Flickr Photostream!

From the Flickr photo description.

ok, i’m not licking her…but it does appear that way. just thought it [lick pugs not toads] was a clever title.

as you can see i’m still acting dumb with her, but i had no choice she would stare at the ground unless i chanted “ginger gunna take picture!!”, stuck out my tongue and acted jittery with her. however doing all this and still managing to take an ok picture is extremely hard for someone such as myself, so that’s why i’m all cut out the picture.

Via Yngrich’s Flickr photostream.

Awwwww.

Via Finstr’s photostream!