CrowdScience - What's the deal with tongues? - BBC Sounds Homepage Accessibility links * Skip to content * Accessibility Help BBC Account Notifications * Home * News * Sport * Weather * iPlayer * Sounds * Bitesize * CBeebies * CBBC * Food * Home * News * Sport * Business * Technology * Health * Culture * Arts * Travel * Earth * Audio * Video * Live More menu Search Sounds * Home * News * Sport * Weather * iPlayer * Sounds * Bitesize * CBeebies * CBBC * Food * Home * News * Sport * Business * Technology * Health * Culture * Arts * Travel * Earth * Audio * Video * Live Close menu BBC Sounds Sounds home page Menu * Home * Music * Podcasts * My Sounds * Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK. Find out how to listen to other BBC stations Episode details World Service , · 29 May 2026 , · 26 mins What's the deal with tongues? CrowdScience Play Bookmark Bookmark Subscribe Subscribe Available for over a year Why is there such a variety of tongues in the animal kingdom? CrowdScience listener Dale has observed that his dog’s tongue is different from his and so is his cat’s.  He’d like to know the reason. Caroline Steel visits London Zoo in the UK to find out more about the different types of tongues - from giraffes and birds to lizards. She talks to evolutionary biologist Kurt Schwenk, who explains that the development of tongues made it possible for animals to make the leap from the sea to life on land. Fish could rely on water to help them swallow food, but air and gravity required a whole different mechanism for having dinner. But why is there such a variety of tongues between species - from the forked tongue of a snake to the rough tongue of a cat? And does it all come down to our diets? Researcher Callum Ross reveals how he’s pioneered a new technique for investigating how animals use their tongues when they eat and drink, and why tongues are so important for swallowing. Presenter: Caroline Steel Producer: Jo Glanville Editor: Ben Motley (Photo: Giraffe licking its lips - stock photo - Credit: laurenepbath via Getty Images) Programme Website Show less More episodes * Cymraeg * Gaeilge * Gàidhlig * BBC Sounds Help * Contacts, Privacy and Information * Help with Signing In * Newsletter Explore the BBC * Home * News * Sport * Weather * iPlayer * Sounds * Bitesize * CBeebies * CBBC * Food * Home * News * Sport * Business * Technology * Health * Culture * Arts * Travel * Earth * Audio * Video * Live * Terms of Use * About the BBC * Privacy Policy * Privacy Policy * Cookies * Cookies * Accessibility Help * Parental Guidance * Contact the BBC * Make an editorial complaint * Careers * BBC emails for you * Advertise with us Copyright (c) 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.