Why Do Giraffes Have Purple Tongues? - Create WebQuest

Skip to main content Why do giraffes have purple tongues? Introduction

1. Melanin, which creates dark pigmentation in skin, is responsible for giraffe tongues' dark color. 2. Although it is unknown exactly why giraffes have tongues that appear blue, purple and sometimes almost black, scientists believe that the animals' tongues have evolved this way for sun protection. 3. Giraffes have prehensile tongues that wrap around leaves and can grow to be up to 20 inches in length. 4. When feeding, the animals' tongues are frequently out of their mouths and exposed to sunlight, so the dark coloration serves to prevent them from getting sunburned. 5. The underside of giraffes' tongues is a light pink color because it does not get as much sun and therefore needs less protection. 6. Sunburned tongues would be more of a concern for a giraffe than for other animals because their tongues are constantly exposed. 7. Giraffes use their tongues to graze from trees, wrapping the organ around vegetation and pulling it into their mouths. 8. Their prehensile tongues are very long, allowing them to reach the very tops of savannah trees. 9. A length of 18 inches is not unusual. This is, of course, in addition to their great height, which can reach up to a record 19 feet tall.

www.reference.com

Task

Melanin, which creates dark pigmentation in skin, is responsible for giraffe tongues' dark color. Giraffes tongues are dark to keep it safe from the sun and getting burnt. Giraffes use their long necks to eat leaves from high trees. Plus, a giraffe's six foot long neck is an average of six hundred pounds. A giraffe's feet are the size of a twelve inch long dinner plate. A giraffe's age can be calculated from its spots. The darker the spots, the older the giraffe.

1) What is melanin?

2) Why are giraffes necks so long?

3) How much does an average giraffe's neck weigh?

4) About how big are giraffes' feet?

5) How can you tell how old a giraffe is?

Process

Giraffes have either blue, purple, or dark colored tongues. They're dark colored to stay protected from the heavy sun rays. They don't want to get sunburnt.

Evaluation

https://goo.gl/images/f5eWOS

Conclusion

Melanin, which creates dark pigmentation in skin, is responsible for giraffe tongues' dark color. Although it is unknown exactly why giraffes have tongues that appear blue, purple and sometimes almost black, scientists believe that the animals' tongues have evolved this way for sun protection. Giraffes have prehensile tongues that wrap around leaves and can grow to be up to 20 inches in length. When feeding, the animals' tongues are frequently out of their mouths and exposed to sunlight, so the dark coloration serves to prevent them from getting sunburned. The underside of giraffes' tongues is a light pink color because it does not get as much sun and therefore needs less protection.Sunburned tongues would be more of a concern for a giraffe than for other animals because their tongues are constantly exposed. Giraffes use their tongues to graze from trees, wrapping the organ around vegetation and pulling it into their mouths. Their prehensile tongues are very long, allowing them to reach the very tops of savannah trees. A length of 18 inches is not unusual. This is, of course, in addition to their great height, which can reach up to a record 19 feet tall.