Mar 31, 2024, 07:07 PM IST

Animals that eat without teeth

Pavan Naidu

Seahorses

Seahorses are toothless but rely on suction feeding to consume tiny crustaceans and plankton. Their elongated mouth create a vacuum effect, drawing prey into their mouths.

Frogs

Frogs are known for their long, sticky tongues that they use to catch insects. This unique feeding mechanism allows them to consume food without the use of their teeth.

Turtles

Turtles are known for their toothless mouths that mostly survive on an herbivorous diet. Their beaks and strong jaws help to tear food. They mostly feed on vegetation, invertebrates, and sometimes even jellyfish.

Anteaters

They lack teeth but make up for it with their incredibly long and sticky tongues, which they use to lap up ants and termites.

Baleen Whales

They feed by taking huge mouthfuls of water and then pushing it out through baleen plates, trapping small fish and plankton.

Snakes

Snakes have flexible jaws that allow them to swallow prey, sometimes even much larger than their heads. This ability helps them to consume food without the need for teeth.

Pangolins

Pangolin, a toothless scaly mammal uses its long, sticky tongue, to slurp up ants and termites.