|
|
|
If a cat has ever licked you, you have felt how rough its tongue is. This is because cats' tongues are covered with rear-facing fleshy hooks called papillae.
|
| These hooks act as combs in grooming the fur and as small cups when the cats drink. In larger cats, the hooks are bigger and are also used to scrape meat off the bones of prey. |
|
Produced by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. © Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Foundation This page was made possible by a grant from Friskies PetCare Company and the National Science Foundation. All photographic images contained within these Web pages ARE COPYRIGHTED and may not be reproduced or utilized in any manner without the express written consent of the owner. Photographs of cats from SunSITE Japan Multimedia Collection
Photograph of tongue model by Jim Angus © Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Foundation Page design by Jim Angus |