The leatherback turtle's mouth is full of papillae. Why?
They mainly feed on stinging jellyfish and the papillae protect them from the stings.
A goose has tooth-like bits on it's tongue. Why?
They help geese saw through grass and weeds.
Camels have tough, hairy, rubbery lips. Why?
To help them to pick at dry and thorny desert plants.
Humans have both molar teeth (for chewing) and incisors (for biting) - why?
Humans eat meat and vegetables. We are omnivores so we have grabbing teeth and chewing teeth.
The mouth of the komodo dragon is full of poisonous bacteria. Why?
To kill prey.
Giraffe's have blue tongues. Why?
To stop them getting burnt by the sun.
On average, sharks have 15 rows of teeth in each jaw. Why?
Shark teeth are not very strong, have no roots and tend to fall out easily.
Asian elephants have molars which glue together to form one large tooth. They produce six sets of molar teeth throughout their lifetime. These teeth grow in from the back of the jaw - why?
Elephants are vegetarian and their teeth wear out with grinding grass and teeth.
Echidna's have long sticky tongues. Why?
They feed on ants, termites, worms, and insect larvae which they scoop up with their tongue..
This grass-eating baboon can curl back it's gums to show it's terrifying fangs. Why?
To scare off other creatures when they feel threatened.
Pelicans have large pouch-like beaks. Why?
To scoop up fish.
Mosquitos have long, hollow needle-like mouth parts. Why?
To pierce the skin of their victims and suck the blood.
The teeth of a beaver never stop growing. Why?
They wear them down by chewing through wood.
Whales have hair-like plates of baleen in their upper jaws. Why?
They strain seawater through the baleen, and hairs on the baleen capture fish, shrimp, and plankton.
Butterflies have a long tongue that they can uncoil. Why?
To feed on the nectar hidden at the base of flowers.
Some snakes can unhinge their jaws. Why?
To swallow large prey whole.
Cheetahs have long sharp incisors at the front of their mouths - why?
To grab and tear at the meat they hunt.
A cat's tongue is covered in rough spikes. Why?
For grooming.
A shark's teeth point backwards into the back of it's mouth. Why?
To prevent their prey from escaping.
Hummingbirds can have very long, thin beaks. Why?
To get to the nectar inside flowers
Hawks have hook-like beaks. Why?
To rip apart their prey.