Lingual luring
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Lingual luring is a form of aggressive mimicry in which a predator (typically a snake or turtle) uses its tongue to fool potential prey into approaching close to what appears to be a small wriggling worm.
Lingual lures are very well developed in young alligator snapping turtles which wait underwater with their mouths open. The tongue is wriggled like a worm and fishes attracted to it are captured by a rapid snapping of the mouth.[1][2]
Lingual luring has also been noted in some species of snakes including the garter snake Thamnophis atratus[3][4] and species of Nerodia (including N. sipedon, N. clarkii and N. rhombifer) – here the luring is initiated by flicking the surface of water with their tongue to attract fish.[5] Similar behaviour has been reported in the snowy egret (Egretta thula) which uses tongue flicking when foraging.[6][7] The puff adder Bitis arietans uses its tongue which is loosely wriggled like a worm to attract amphibian prey. The puff adder also uses its tail as a lure (caudal luring).[8]