The ring-tailed lemur, a social and acrobatic primate from Madagascar, boasts a surprising anatomical quirk: two tongues! But this isn’t a case of double the taste buds. Ring-tailed lemurs possess a specialized secondary tongue called a sublingua.
This muscular “under-tongue” works in tandem with the primary tongue. Unlike its taste-bud-laden counterpart, the sublingua lacks taste receptors. Instead, it acts like a grooming comb, tucked beneath the primary tongue. When lemurs meticulously clean themselves, the sublingua helps scrape debris and fur from their specialized “toothcomb” – front teeth used for grooming.
But the story doesn’t end there. Interestingly, research suggests that lemurs in captivity often live longer than their wild counterparts. This might seem counterintuitive, but it’s likely due to factors like consistent access to food, reduced exposure to predators, and veterinary care. In the wild, lemurs face threats like food scarcity, diseases, and harsh environments. Zoos provide a controlled setting that mitigates these risks.
So, the next time you see a group of lemurs playfully leaping around their enclosure, remember the fascinating double act happening beneath their expressive faces. The sublingua, a testament to evolution’s remarkable adaptations, keeps these social creatures clean, while zoos offer them a safe haven to potentially live longer, healthier lives.
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