parrot tongues

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parrot tongues
Topic Started: Oct 11 2009, 10:58 AM (89 Views)
kevinp	Oct 11 2009, 10:58 AM Post #1
Administrator Posts: 6,047 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: October 7, 2006 How many Parrotlets do you have I have one Parrotlet What types Celestials What colours One green Other Birds ? Budgeries four off I live in a mess of my own making !!! My name is I'll give you a clue	I have just seen this pic in the competitions Posted Image And it reminded me of the last time I was in a pet shop and the B & G macaw was licking my fingers ( probably to bite them off) and it reminded me that their tongues are strange as they have no saliva, or if they do its very little. Anyone else noticed this ?



LauraR	Oct 12 2009, 12:20 AM Post #2
Staff Member Posts: 4,891 Group: Staff Member #78 Joined: April 7, 2007 How many Parrotlets do you have 1 What types Pacific What colours Blue Pied Other Birds ? 2 Conures I live in California, USA	They don't have saliva like we do, but I think there's some lubricant on them? Because when they lick you, it doesn't feel like sandpaper, or at least it doesn't with parrotlets or conures. Hmmm.....Interesting point. We'll have to look this one up! Glad the B&G let you keep your fingers, Kev!! giggle



Jan	Oct 12 2009, 08:38 AM Post #3
Vip Member Posts: 1,864 Group: Full Members Member #1,157 Joined: November 18, 2007 How many Parrotlets do you have 3 What types Celestial What colours Blue & Green+Green Dominant Pied, Other Birds ? Zippi & Drummer Cockatiels I live in Wales uk My name is Jan	Dont think Ill be opening Sky or Mints mouth! crying crying crying



Gardengail	Oct 12 2009, 11:15 AM Post #4
Staff Member Posts: 12,746 Group: Staff Member #25 Joined: January 18, 2007 How many Parrotlets do you have 1 What types Pacific What colours Blue Other Birds ? Severe Macaw and 2 Timneth Greys I live in Upstate New York, USA My name is Gail	LOL! I love that pic of Spike! Here's another tongue for ya! Posted Image Edited by Gardengail, Oct 12 2009, 11:24 AM.



Bigboy	Oct 12 2009, 03:00 PM Post #5
Senior Member Posts: 452 Group: Full Members Member #665 Joined: September 22, 2007 How many Parrotlets do you have Bigboy is an only birdie What types Bigboy is a Pacific Lucida Parrotllet What colours Bigboy is green with a gray wash I live in The Bronx, NY My name is Anita	I got this info from Ecobirds. I'm still looking for saliva - I'll get back to you when I find it. Most birds have tongues, though unlike ours. A bird's tongue has 5 bones in it that support and strengthen it, together they are called the 'Hyoid apparatus'. There is also a great deal of variation in bird tongues. A bird's tongue is generally harder and less flexible than ours. Most birds have a relatively simple tongue, a flat triangular blade in shape with a few backwardly pointing papillae at the back of the mouth which help to ensure food only goes in one direction. In some birds however the tongue has become highly evolved. In some fish-eating birds such as Penguins the whole tongue is covered in backwardly pointing spikes which help in swallowing the fish. In other fish-eating birds such as Cormorants, the tongue has been almost completely reduced. In Woodpeckers the tongue has become greatly elongated and is stored deep in the birds skull when not extended. Woodpeckers' tongues also have a sharp pointed top to spear wood-boring insect larvae. The end of the tongue has backwardly directed barbs to help in drawing the food items out of their holes in the wood. Brush-tongued lories, as their name implies, have a tongue with a small brush at the tip. The brush is used to collect nectar form the various flowers which these birds visit. Other primarily nectar-feeding birds such as Hummingbirds, Sunbirds and Honeyeaters have evolved tubular tongues. These effectively give the bird a straw with which to suck up the nectar. Finally, in parrots the tongue has become thicker and more swollen - more like ours. This helps parrots to manipulate their food in their mouths, but it also makes it possible for them to make all the sounds that so endear them to us.



bonnie	Oct 12 2009, 05:12 PM Post #6
Co Admin Posts: 14,044 Group: Co Admin Member #73 Joined: March 10, 2007 How many Parrotlets do you have 0 Other Birds ? YNA GCC. Cockatiel I live in Pennsylvania My name is Bonnie	Birds don't have saliva glands like we do or they could not eat those really hot not peppers. I think there tongues are a bit gross :lol: Edited by bonnie, Oct 12 2009, 05:13 PM.



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