The puzzle of passive lingual protrusion in ruminants, part 1: first noticed in impalas (Aepyceros)

Recently, I noticed that impalas (Aepyceros) have often been photographed with the tongue protruding passively.

I do not refer to the active cleaning of the nostrils by means of the tongue (https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-female-impala-gazelle-that-just-194312933 and https://www.alamy.com/impala-aepyceros-melampus-licking-the-nose-south-africa-krueger-national-park-image255236547.html?imageid=E2254136-C33E-4AEF-967E-8AE5F7223EF6&p=853426&pn=14&searchId=c815bc09b660ce5ed5c0dd5d690ef024&searchtype=0), which occurs in many ruminants (https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-white-tailed-deer-doe-with-tongue-sticking-out-cades-cove-great-smoky-52364585.html?imageid=E118A7F9-23AF-492C-900B-A099517111E9&p=4052&pn=1&searchId=92c7e2275b61caf4ea73e5d8dd166422&searchtype=0 and https://www.dreamstime.com/eland-antelope-oryx-taurotragus-scientific-name-can-grow-up-to-m-weighs-kg-living-years-nature-lives-parts-south-image155017395 and https://www.dreamstime.com/nyala-tragelaphus-angasii-portrait-male-tongue-image185606287 and https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/roe-deer-licking-in-forest-in-autumn-nature-in-close-up-gm1423413930-468412317?phrase=deer+sticking+out+its+tongue&searchscope=image%2Cfilm and https://www.flickr.com/photos/tobiasnawrath/14005864955 and https://www.alamy.com/a-male-roe-deer-roe-buck-roebuck-capreolus-capreolus-sticks-out-his-tongue-and-licks-his-nose-image408524965.html?imageid=25C83238-0415-403C-B60E-45493641AED4&p=1396064&pn=2&searchId=c773d3f7877ac06d4d6cd203e67cd7e8&searchtype=0).

Nor do I refer to the active tongue-flicking seen in hectic activities during masculine display in

• impalas (https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/male-impala-extends-tongue-court-female-1081363733 and https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-impala-aepyceros-melampus-sticking-out-tongue-kruger-national-park-32926983.html?imageid=B03A49BE-5521-4310-81F5-EBBDD570D34A&p=46605&pn=16&searchId=e3ed3ee9ce6844b46525748256064dd8&searchtype=0 and https://www.dreamstime.com/adult-impala-walking-dry-grass-tongue-out-moremi-okavango-delta-botswana-vertical-portrait-male-impala-sticking-image198684891 and https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/Tongue_out_%2831990959187%29.jpg), and
• other ruminants, e.g. the red deer (Cervus elaphus, https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-red-deer-stag-sticking-out-1776154028).

Instead, I refer to the following:

Juveniles:
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/kruger-national-park-baby-impala-summer-1926566396
https://www.dreamstime.com/male-impala-wild-sticking-tongue-out-image143766031
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-thomsons-gazelle-sticks-its-tongue-out-19293124.html
Adult females:
https://www.gettyimages.ie/detail/photo/close-up-of-deer-botswana-royalty-free-image/1447739798?phrase=impala+the+animal&adppopup=true and https://www.gettyimages.ie/detail/photo/close-up-of-deer-botswana-royalty-free-image/1447739792?phrase=impala+the+animal&adppopup=true
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/female-impala-aepyceros-melampus-sticking-out-421869316 and https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/female-impala-aepyceros-melampus-sticking-out-420080788
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/impala-showing-her-tongue-botswana-africa-1229219770
https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/294985844318116914/
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-female-common-impala-extending-tongue-1878509461
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/closeup-shot-tongue-out-antelope-2051598548
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/shot-impala-tongue-out-kruger-national-633095888
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-female-common-impala-showing-tongue-2259956643
https://www.alamy.com/close-up-of-female-common-impala-extending-tongue-image402510156.html?imageid=32EE96C0-38B5-4C66-9536-EE0AEACE7458&p=2270282&pn=4&searchId=3d0b791c3d3cb7d50c9fda9d9d2afbe8&searchtype=0
Adult males:
https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/impala-sticks-tongue-out-gm91169035-6437029
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/impala-sticking-tongue-out-709872856
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-impala-natural-habitat-68518105
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/tanzania-national-wildlife-refuge-impals-graze-1598818396
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/impala-missing-horn-stands-showing-tongue-2275300017
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-impala-ram-sticking-his-tongue-1429643615
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/impala-sticking-tongue-out-1703975104
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/impala-buck-sticks-out-his-tongue-485045428
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/wild-african-impala-antelope-1-695835952
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/impala-buck-browsing-on-twigs-bush-589866068
https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-images-cheeky-impala-image9557499
Scroll to second photo in https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/wild-animals/params/post/1291286/impalas
https://www.dreamstime.com/closeup-springbok-antidorcas-marsupialis-sticking-out-tongue-etosha-national-park-namibia-closeup-springbok-antidorcas-image218800377

Passive lingual protrusion in impalas seems odd, because it

• is not consistently associated with any particular gesture/posture/gait,
• seems incongruent with the fact that impalas have never (in contrast to giraffes, https://www.deviantart.com/areionpaulse/art/Giraffe-Tongue-149866633, and tragelaphins) been photographed extending the tongue while foraging, and
• is particularly incongruent with the fact that impalas never expose the tongue during the frequent, extreme, and specialised grooming behaviour for which this genus of bovids is renowned (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285769520_Aepyceros_melampus_impala).

Puzzles lie in the following questions, in order of increasing importance:

• why is the tongue so dark in its pigmentation?
• if tongue-protrusion is a facial expression, what message does it communicate? and
• how does passive lingual protrusion relate to the remarkable shortness of the vibrissae on the lips of impalas? (https://www.natureinstock.com/search/preview/black-faced-impala-aepyceros-melampus-petersi-adult-female-close-up-of/0_11030903.html and https://www.alamy.com/black-faced-impala-aepyceros-melampus-petersi-aepyceros-petersi-portrait-of-a-female-namibia-image255394468.html?imageid=9DA29908-B307-49F5-8C62-18BE05E36265&p=855717&pn=16&searchId=e3ed3ee9ce6844b46525748256064dd8&searchtype=0)?

My curiosity piqued by the above, I began to search among other ruminants.

I found that many other bovids have, at least occasionally, been likewise photographed with the tongue protruding.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF PASSIVE LINGUAL PROTRUSION IN VARIOUS BOVIDS

Tragelaphus euryceros:
https://www.dreamstime.com/antelope-tongue-extended-juvenile-bongo-image159300458

Nyala angasii:
https://es.123rf.com/photo_9112253_a-nyala-doe-sticks-out-her-black-tongue-in-anticipation-of-a-leafy-snack.html
https://www.dreamstime.com/doe-nature-antelope-zoo-sticks-out-her-tongue-funny-image171830405
https://www.dreamstime.com/lowland-nyala-tragelaphus-angasii-detail-portrait-nyala-nizzina-beautiful-female-funny-grimace-her-tongue-out-image246364436

Strepsiceros strepsiceros:
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/common-eland-sticking-tongue-out-taurotragus-2061069446
https://www.alamy.com/close-up-of-male-greater-kudu-showing-tongue-image392279330.html
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/closeup-female-kudu-antelope-sticks-out-2212651185
https://www.dreamstime.com/common-eland-sticking-its-tongue-out-taurotragus-oryx-savannah-antelope-also-known-as-southern-plains-found-image226083170
https://www.dreamstime.com/common-eland-sticking-its-tongue-out-taurotragus-oryx-also-known-as-southern-antelope-savannah-plains-found-image227924129
https://www.dreamstime.com/common-eland-sticking-its-tongue-out-taurotragus-oryx-also-known-as-southern-antelope-savannah-plains-found-image229138672
https://www.dreamstime.com/common-eland-sticking-its-tongue-out-taurotragus-oryx-savannah-antelope-also-known-as-southern-plains-found-image226083165
https://www.dreamstime.com/common-eland-sticking-its-tongue-out-taurotragus-oryx-savannah-antelope-common-eland-sticking-its-tongue-out-image230245846
https://www.dreamstime.com/common-eland-sticking-its-tongue-out-taurotragus-oryx-savannah-antelope-also-known-as-southern-plains-found-image231506697
https://www.dreamstime.com/common-eland-sticking-its-tongue-out-taurotragus-oryx-also-known-as-southern-antelope-savannah-plains-found-image229814727
https://www.dreamstime.com/greater-kudu-tragelaphus-strepsiceros-young-female-portrait-female-large-antelope-her-tongue-out-greater-kudu-image207855243
https://www.dreamstime.com/close-up-male-greater-kudu-extending-tongue-image205259222
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-animal-mammal-tongue-portrait-animal-portrait-antelope-gazelles-animal-141770755.html

Taurotragus oryx:
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-common-eland-taurotragus-oryx-male-sticking-out-tongue-portrait-african-48668592.html

Bison bison:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/scattered/44320317460

Kobus leche:
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/portrait-antelope-tongue-out-zoo-1587458623 and https://www.dreamstime.com/portrait-antelope-tongue-out-zoo-image166569979

Kobus ellipsiprymnus:
https://www.dreamstime.com/antelope-its-tongue-hanging-out-looks-camera-portrait-young-female-african-waterbock-eating-food-image208243786
https://www.dreamstime.com/close-up-side-view-female-defassa-waterbuck-its-tongue-hanging-around-antelope-seen-safari-south-africa-image229087418
https://www.dreamstime.com/waterbucks-kobus-ellipsiprymnus-water-hole-sticking-his-tongue-out-ongava-private-game-reserve-neighbour-etosha-na-namibia-image261240558

Antidorcas marsupialis:
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-male-springbok-image3039700
https://depositphotos.com/photo/headshot-springbok-its-tongue-out-334859772.html
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-springbok-sticking-out-tongue-37976578.html
https://www.dreamstime.com/closeup-springbok-antidorcas-marsupialis-sticking-out-tongue-camera-etosha-national-park-namibia-closeup-springbok-image218800406
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-springbuck-springbok-antidorcas-marsupialis-poking-the-tongue-out-58103945.html

Nanger dama:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/fantommst/3185906609

Budorcas taxicolor:
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-a-funny-looking-mishmi-takin-sticking-out-his-tongue-21032445.html?imageid=377ECA4D-3042-4D4C-BC4B-B38249997461&p=51073&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0

Ovis canadensis:
https://www.alamy.com/male-bighorn-sheep-standing-alone-in-a-grass-filled-meadow-sticking-out-tongue-looking-a-little-cross-eyed-horns-are-half-circled-image240805692.html?imageid=A38375FB-2760-4DA4-9AF0-DA9E6A32FC6B&p=132123&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0

Capra ibex:
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-male-ibex-sticking-his-tongue-2335380967
https://www.alamy.com/alpine-ibex-capra-ibex-female-looking-head-on-into-the-camera-sticking-out-her-tongue-cheeky-funny-allgaeu-bavaria-germany-image502536772.html?imageid=8AAFA595-2E9D-4F70-87BE-D0E0CF46A4B4&p=2010136&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0

Capra hircus:
https://www.alamy.com/a-brown-goat-sticking-out-its-tongue-in-a-cheeky-way-image479662828.html?imageid=39AF9619-2585-4518-BDB7-DB6B44A5AD14&p=1921518&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-goat-goats-mountain-goat-wild-goat-eastern-france-50990635.html?imageid=7E46B0D0-7449-4E0F-B63F-D31CB06D9362&p=3159&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0
https://www.alamy.com/goat-sticking-out-tongue-image274663495.html?imageid=AB6A9366-9790-4128-96E5-A42C1900C359&p=469227&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0
https://www.alamy.com/domestic-mountain-brown-male-goat-looking-at-camera-sticking-tongue-out-while-grazing-on-green-grassy-rocky-hill-in-countryside-against-blue-sky-image551193393.html?imageid=C17A877C-DD55-4088-888A-9ABDF02EF9FF&p=726108&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0
https://www.alamy.com/goat-image490601068.html?imageid=50627AFB-6861-4DA7-AE92-55C4029257C1&p=1979600&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0
https://www.alamy.com/goat-grazing-to-help-remove-perennial-grasses-and-weeds-image357621858.html?imageid=91C691EB-7465-4237-BA2E-67B5D57CCC9E&p=259859&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0
https://www.alamy.com/cute-gray-goat-smiling-and-sticking-out-his-tongue-funny-farm-pets-raising-animals-on-farms-image590824762.html?imageid=32B7A019-0253-49B8-80FC-A0C4B5AF5164&p=1320938&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-white-goat-sticking-tongue-out-113047039.html?imageid=8F7CD579-CF08-4462-BF81-B0BC9ED24806&p=330795&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0
https://www.alamy.com/goat-with-tongue-sticking-out-image311914233.html?imageid=A648B977-E5CA-4E29-BA78-03C984D580DA&p=827424&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0
https://www.alamy.com/goat-with-tongue-sticking-out-image474463590.html?imageid=CF9149DD-CC7E-46F1-BEFB-0BBC6C8AD577&p=261452&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0
https://www.alamy.com/oman-portrait-of-goat-sticking-out-tongue-at-camera-image354715615.html?imageid=E0E40394-8109-439A-9E2C-52597FCAD09D&p=10297&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0

Oreamnos americanus:
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-mountain-goat-sticking-its-tongue-out-111472533.html?imageid=7F7427F8-9344-4D1B-B9C1-7B05C600CE03&p=324087&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0
https://www.alamy.com/usa-colorado-mt-evans-mountain-goat-sticking-out-its-tongue-atop-rock-credit-as-cathy-gordon-illg-jaynes-gallery-danitadelimontcom-image441596433.html?imageid=C2B4D7D2-60CB-4054-AC3F-7184D3E18267&p=16459&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0

Rupicapra rupicapra:
https://www.alamy.com/chamois-portrait-image491310892.html?imageid=8026BF23-44A3-4446-8407-D599B6CC7B90&p=167234&pn=1&searchId=b7237ccf67ec3143e413fde19abf446c&searchtype=0

Cephalophus niger:
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-duiker-west-african-black-antelope-close-up-image91511475
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-photo-duiker-west-african-black-antelope-close-up-image91511604

to be continued in https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/milewski/90158-the-puzzle-of-passive-lingual-protrusion-in-ruminants-part-2-deer-cervidae#...

Posted on 21 February, 2024 22:57 by milewski