Random Act of Anatomy - Woodpecker hyolingual (tongue) apparatus

Woodpeckers are famous for their highly protrusible tongues that can probe deeply into holes in trees for grubs. Here’s the hyolingual apparatus of a red-bellied woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus; OUVC 11522), a natural casualty that was provided to us for research from one of our wildlife rehab facility partners. As in most woodpeckers, the apparatus has such long hyoid bones that they wrap around the back of the skull and onto the top, reaching the right nostril in many species (but not quite in this one). Amazing! I was fiddling with this one for so long (it’s just so cool!) before deciding to make the video that I kind of wore out the !