Because here\u2019s a metal artichoke. With a tongue.<\/p>\n
OK, that\u2019s not actually an artichoke<\/a>. It\u2019s a\u00a0pangolin<\/a>.<\/p>\n What\u2019s a pangolin,\u00a0you ask<\/a>?<\/p>\n Pangolins, often called \u201cscaly anteaters,\u201d are covered in tough, overlapping scales. These burrowing mammals eat ants and termites using an extraordinarily long, sticky tongue, and are able to quickly roll themselves up into a tight ball when threatened. Eight different pangolin species can be found across Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.<\/p>\n \u2026<\/p>\n With small conical heads and jaws lacking teeth, pangolins have amazingly long, muscular, and sticky tongues that are perfect for reaching and lapping up ants and termites in deep cavities. Pangolins have poor vision, so they locate termite and ant nests with their strong sense of smell. A pangolin\u2019s tongue is attached near its pelvis and last pair of ribs, and when fully extended is longer than the animal\u2019s head and body. At rest a pangolin\u2019s tongue retracts into a sheath in its chest cavity. A pangolin\u2019s stomach is muscular and has keratinous spines projecting into its interior. Usually containing small stones, the stomach mashes and grinds prey in much the same manner as a bird\u2019s gizzard.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n That stomach-spine thing\u2019s pretty weird. Sort of reminds me of the platypus. Not because the platypus has spines in its stomach, of course \u2014 It doesn\u2019t, does it?<\/a> \u2014 but because it seems to be a collection of spare parts.<\/p>\n![\"Ground\"](\"http:\/\/i.imgur.com\/JEghpDP.jpg\")
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