When certain bat salute ambrosia from peak , they ’re not siphoning it out or lapping it up . Their tongue have groove and a pumping chemical mechanism – a way of drinking that ’s never been see in any mammals before . accord to a newScience Advancesstudy , their clapper never separate from the nectar , and the sugary treat is sent into the chiropteran ’ mouth like a conveyer belted ammunition .
Nectar is easy available and openly leave by flower , which publicize this sweet , push - robust imagination in hopes of receiving pollination services in return . While insects that depend on nectar as their chief food reference have specialized mouthparts , most ambrosia - feeding mammalian and birds own tongue modification . bat such as Pallas ’ long - tongue bats ( Glossophaga soricina ) have long , hair - similar papillae on their long , protrusile tongues . But there are a few bats that sport a completely different knife – one that lack foresightful papilla , but has cryptical groove ( or canal ) that run along the total length of the muscly organ .
To see how the grooved - tongued , orange nectar bat ( Lonchophylla robusta ) drinks , aUniversity of Ulmtrio led by Marco Tschapka used high - velocity cameras to record 10 individuals banquet on honey water from test tubes resemble peak . They also commemorate eight Pallas ’ long - tongued bat . Both species drink while hovering mid - air over the contrived flowers , typically for less than a second . But their nectar uptake techniques were very unlike , though they were likewise efficient at draw out the honey water .
After inserting its snout into the feeder opening night , G. soricinawould dip its tongue into the ambrosia , retract it into its sass , and repeat up to seven times per visit . In contrast to these lapping bm , the well-grooved tongue ofL. robustastays in place the intact time with the crest submerged under the airfoil of the liquid : The well-grooved tongue uses pump - comparable muscles to transport the nectar up – and against gravity – into the bat ’s sassing .
The team does n’t screw precisely how the bats are doing this yet . next body of work is needed to better understand the fluid dynamics and the fundamental interaction between the clapper and capillary action . you may check out some slow - apparent movement tongue action in the video below .
look-alike in text : Lonchophylla robusta visiting the Malvaceae Quararibea cordata . M. Tschapka / University of Ulm Video course credit : AAAS / Carla Schaffer
