Special spit is the secret of uniquely sticky frog tongues, study reveals

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February 01, 2017 at 12:01AM

Frog saliva switches between being thin and watery as the whip-like tongue hits its target, to thick and sticky as the insect is reeled in, research shows

Scientists have discovered what makes the frog’s tongue uniquely sticky, allowing the amphibian to snag passing flies while squatting motionless by the water’s edge.

Frog saliva, the study revealed, has a bizarre property of being able to switch between thin and watery as the whip-like tongue hits its target, to thick and sticky as the insect is reeled in, creating an almost inescapable trap.

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