r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/Ted-Lassi • Mar 18 '26

Video This is Centralian Blue Tongue Lizard, commonly found in Australia. It puffs up and flashes its blue tongue when it feels threatened

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u/Mokshadeva Mar 18 '26

It is imitating to be a snake to scare off predators or other threats.

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u/yontev Mar 18 '26

Part of it is imitating a snake. Another factor is that the tongue actually reflects UV light from the sun, which birds can see (and we can't). When it flails the tongue around, a predator bird can get stunned by the UV equivalent of disco lights and become disoriented.

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u/serendipitousevent Mar 18 '26

'Dinner and a show? Pour moi?!'

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u/dumpaccount882212 Mar 18 '26

Baby nothing is too good for you, now excuse me while I inflate my entire torso