Feeding in Lizards: Form–Function and Complex Multifunctional System

Bels, Vincent; Paindavoine, Anne-Sophie; Zghikh, Leïla-Nastasia; Paulet, Emeline; Pallandre, Jean-Pierre; Montuelle, Stéphane J.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-13739-7_13

Cited by 10 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 252 publications

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“…Diagram illustrating jaw, tongue and hyoid movements during a single tongue cycle of Eublepharis macularius (lateral view on the left, frontal view on the right). (a–d) The tongue is protruded from the buccal cavity and deforms so that its dorsal surface contacts the water (W) (in accordance with Kim & Bush, ; Bels et al, ). Water moves posteriorly to the oesophagus through the buccal cavity as a result of lingual action (see the text for explanation).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 62%

“…Water is an essential resource, and most terrestrial vertebrates must drink to compensate for water loss. In many taxa, the tongue is used actively during drinking (Heidweiller, van Loon & Zweers, ; Bels, Goosse & Kardong, ; Kim & Bush, ; Rico‐Guevara et al , ; Bels et al , ). It is, therefore, anticipated that the tongue’s morphology and functional anatomy, and those of associated areas of the buccopharyngeal region, will reflect efficient and effective transfer of water from the environment to the oral chamber and thence to the gut.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The diversity of tongue morphology of lizards has been extensively documented, mostly in relation to the structure of its dorsal epithelium and lingual musculature. Lizards are known to employ the tongue in a variety of behaviours, including chemosensory detection, drinking, food procurement and/or capture, food transport, swallowing, and grooming (Russell & Rosenberg, ; Bels, Chardon & Kardong, ; Schwenk & Rubega, ; Bels et al , ; Baeckens, Van Damme & Cooper Jr, b; Bels et al , ,b). Several authors offer functional explanations for the morphological diversity seen in the tongue epithelia of lizards (Meyers & Nishikawa, ; Herrel et al , ; Meyers & Herrel, ; Abbate et al , , , ; Zghikh et al , ; Iwasaki, Erdogan, & Asami, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among iguanian lizards (currently assigned to the Toxicofera), the tongue is directly involved in prey capture (Schwenk & Throckmorton, ; Bels, ; Kraklau, ; Bels et al, ; Herrel et al , ; Meyers & Herrel, ; Schaerlaeken, Meyers & Herrel, ; Brau et al , ; Bels et al , ,b), but also plays an important role in drinking (Bels et al, ; Wagemans et al , ). The agamid Pogona exemplifies the differences in tongue protraction and deformation when employed in prey capture and drinking (Bels et al , ,b). In scleroglossan ( sensu lato ) lizards, the tongue plays a key role in collecting chemical signals (Baeckens et al , ) and assists in prey capture in only two families, the Scincidae and Cordylidae (Urbani & Bels, ; Smith, Kardong & Bels, ; Reilly & McBrayer, ; Montuelle et al , ; Broeckhoven & Mouton, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mechanics and kinematics of fluid uptake and intraoral transport in the leopard gecko

et al. 2020

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Drinking permits amniote vertebrates to compensate for water loss. Lizards (nonophidian squamates) use their tongue to imbibe water, but for most lizards the tongue is also employed in other activities. To determine how these various demands can be accommodated alongside the tongue's role in drinking, it is necessary to firstly determine the tongue's function in water uptake and intraoral transport in a lizard that does not use this organ for chemoreception or food prehension. We selected the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) for this purpose. We build upon previous morphological observations of the anatomy of its tongue and oral cavity and explore its drinking behaviour through high-speed cinematography and cineradiography. This allows us to follow the movement of radio-opaquely labelled water in association with tongue, jaw and throat movements. The tongue is modified to collect water and to release it into the anterior region of the buccal cavity. Repeated tongue cycles are associated with the shifting of the imbibed water into paired ventrolateral chambers and ultimately to its passage to a single, midline posterior chamber prior to swallowing. Tongue movements, capillarity and pressure changes due to hyolingual movements cause water to be moved posteriorly along specific pathways prior to swallowing, bypassing the airways and dorsal surface of the mid-and hind tongue. In this licking-based lingually driven approach to drinking, only small volumes of water can be gathered at a time, with a drinking bout consisting of 20-30 tongue cycles before emersion and swallowing occur. This mechanism differs from drinking in turtles and snakes, which do not employ licking and may take in larger quantities of water. We advance the hypothesis that all lizards have conserved this pattern of tongue-based water uptake and precisely directed intraoral fluid transport, with specializations for tongue-based food capture and/or lingually based chemoreception being superimposed thereupon.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 62%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Mechanics and kinematics of fluid uptake and intraoral transport in the leopard gecko

et al. 2020

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Ultrastructural comparison between the tongue of two reptilian species endemic in Egyptian fauna; Bosc's fringe‐toed lizard Acanthodactylus boskianus and Sinai fan‐fingered gecko Ptyodactylus guttatus

Gewily

Mahmoud

Saber

et al. 2021

Microscopy Res & Technique

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The current observations focused on the ultrastructure comparison between the tongue of two reptile species endemic the Egyptian fauna; Bosc's fringe‐toed lizard Acanthodactylus boskianus and Sinai fan‐fingered gecko Ptyodactylus guttatus to exhibit the relationship between the lingual epithelium and its function according to their specific feeding strategy. A. boskianus possessed triangular elongated tongue with bifurcated tapering apex and wide base while; the P. guttatus had a triangular flattened tongue with conical shallow bifurcated apex and broad base. The ventral surface of the lingual apex of A. boskianus had transverse while in P. guttatus had two oval pads and median ventral groove. Both surfaces of the tongue of both examined species are covered by stratified squamous epithelium with great variability of degree of keratinization. The dorsal epithelium formed flattened and conical filiform papillae in A. boskianus, while in P. guttatus formed cylindrical papillae, conical, and tall filiform ones. Few taste buds are observed on the fore‐tongue but increase on the mid‐tongue of A. boskianus, while in P. guttatus, numerous taste buds are distributed on the fore‐tongue and mid‐tongue. Both surfaces of the laryngeal mound of both examined species provided with numerous of cilia and orifices of laryngeal gland. The present results confirmed that the tongue of A. boskianus acts as a chemoreceptor organ to follow pheromone trails of prey and mates. While in P. guttatus the tongue may play an important role in the feeding mechanism and act as a chemoreceptor organ.

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Comparative histological and ultrastructural features of the tongue of the mallard domestic duck, Anas platyrhynchos f. domestica, Anatidae (Linnaeus, 1758) in different two age stages (post‐hatching [P2] and adult female) captured from Egypt

El‐Nahass,

Elwan

2024

Microscopy Res & Technique

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The domestic duck is classified as a specialist filter‐feeder bird living in the water. These birds also use grazing and pecking as terrestrial feeding methods. The tongues of domestic ducks, similar to those of other Anseriformes, exhibit numerous types and shapes of mechanical papillae that serve a number of purposes when collecting food. The current study attempts to describe the morphological characteristics of the tongue as well as the mechanical papillae's development. In addition, the study aims to determine whether the papillae observed post‐hatching (P2) exhibit similar morphology to those found in adult female avian species, as well as to investigate the readiness of the tongue to fulfill its feeding function following hatching. The comprehensive examination of lingual mucosa is examined about the structural modifications necessary for this variety of feeding activities. In this study, the tongues of nine young (P2) and adult female were used. The tongue had three distinct parts: the apex, which had a lingual nail on its ventral surface; the body, which exhibits numerous small and large conical papillae on its lateral sides and a lingual prominence in the caudal region; and the root, which is covered with numerous conical papillae of varying sizes. Conical, filiform, and hair‐like mechanical papillae, the three types of food filtration apparatus, are present in both stages. The intraoral transfer involves several structures, including the median groove, lingual combs, and the rostral border of the lingual prominence. The rostral border of the lingual prominence is characterized by distinct rows of conical papillae. The histological analysis demonstrated the presence of both keratinized and nonkeratinized epithelium on different tongue regions. The lingual salivary glands in the rostral and caudal lingual salivary glands exhibit a pronounced periodic acid–Schiff‐positive reaction. Additionally, the yellow adipose tissue and sensory receptors, namely the Grandry and Herbst corpuscles, which collectively form the bill‐tongue organ that monitors the movement of food. These results conclude the presence of microstructural species‐specific alterations in specific tongue areas of domestic ducks' lingual mucosa. These modifications are formed by the filtering mechanism and terrestrial feeding mechanisms, such as grazing or pecking. Following hatching, the tongue of the domestic duck undergoes significant development, primarily in preparation for grazing activities. The anatomical and histological structure of the young (P2) tongue exhibited similarities to that of the adult female domestic duck while also displaying certain variations that could potentially be attributed to the bird's habitat and mode of feeding.Research HighlightsThe results of this study concluded that the domestic duck exhibit a complex tongue structure characterized by the arrangement and morphology of its mechanical papillae, the presence of the lingual prominence with distinctive shape and the lingual comb. These features are believed to be adaptations that enable the duck to actively and efficiently filter food particles from water, serving as its primary feeding mechanism. Additionally, the tongue of domestic ducks is specifically adapted to facilitate various terrestrial activities, such as grazing and pecking. This adaptation is achieved through the presence of conical papillae and a lingual nail. These investigations facilitate our comprehension of both the anatomical and histological characteristics of the domestic duck tongue, as well as enhance our understanding of bird adaptations to various feeding mechanisms.

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Feeding in Lizards: Form–Function and Complex Multifunctional System

Cited by 10 publications

References 252 publications

Mechanics and kinematics of fluid uptake and intraoral transport in the leopard gecko

Mechanics and kinematics of fluid uptake and intraoral transport in the leopard gecko

Ultrastructural comparison between the tongue of two reptilian species endemic in Egyptian fauna; Bosc's fringe‐toed lizard Acanthodactylus boskianus and Sinai fan‐fingered gecko Ptyodactylus guttatus

Comparative histological and ultrastructural features of the tongue of the mallard domestic duck, Anas platyrhynchos f. domestica, Anatidae (Linnaeus, 1758) in different two age stages (post‐hatching [P2] and adult female) captured from Egypt

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