The trunk of animals can refer to two aspects: on the one hand, to an extension of the nose; and on the other, to an extension of the oral apparatus. This structure is usually long or short, and in some cases it is a visible and striking characteristic, resulting in a peculiar and distinctive feature of the species that possesses it. These formations are tubular, hollow and flexible, but they also vary depending on the type of horn we are referring to. Thus, it can be a clearly visible muscular protuberance or, on the contrary, fine and tiny appendages, not so obvious to visual perception.
These structures have various purposes and, depending on their size, are used to collect or suck food, touch, drink water and even spray with it, in addition to perceiving odors when it is an extension of the nose. There are not a few species that have particular trunks, making them quite striking, so this time we want to present you, from our site, an article about animals with trunks, with so that you know more about this topic. Therefore, we invite you to continue reading.
Types and characteristics of animal trunks
The expression trunk is a synonym of the term proboscis, which comes from “Latin proboscis, -ĭdis, which means trunk, and is defined as an appendix located on the animal head, elongated and tubular, generally used to refer to an extension of the nose of some mammals or the mouthparts of certain invertebrates. Generally, mammals with trunk development have a high sense of smell, which they use to locate their food or perceive the scent of a predator, while in the case of invertebrates this formation is mainly used for feeding.
As for the type of animal trunks we can speak of two: short and long. However, these can present different characteristics, among which the following stand out:
- Long, muscular, flexible and strong structures.
- They can include the upper lip of the animal when they are an extension of the nose.
- Pressure-fired, retractable extensions.
- Some have points that puncture and inoculate toxic substances.
- There are tubes or proboscises covered with cilia and mucus.
- Certain muscular or fleshy tubes can be inflated at will by the animal.
What are animal trunks for?
Just as there are various characteristics for these formations, they also have various purposes, among which we can mention:
- Breathe.
- Press.
- Suck.
- Generate sounds.
- Dig in muddy bottoms in order to find food.
Examples of animals with long trunks
The consideration of a long trunk in animals is a relative aspect, since, without a doubt, none would surpass that of the elephant. In this sense, we are going to refer to a trunk as long depending on the size with respect to the body of the animal itself and not in comparison to that of other species.
Elephant
Let's start with the elephants, who in fact belong to the order called Proboscideans, and are the only current family of that group. In this case, they have a long trunk, which is made up of thousands of muscles and tendons, which allows them to easily lift, stretch or pick it up, and each movement can be performed with great force.
Elephants use their trunk to breathe, suck in water and then bring it to their mouths or spray themselves with it, pick up food, heavy objects and make their characteristic sounds, so it is also used to communicate among them. On the other hand, this organ is highly sensitive to smells, giving them a well-developed sense of smell; and as if that were not enough, it has a touch function, with which they touch each other.
The Proboscidean trunk can be so long that stretching it reaches touching the groundLet us remember that some individuals reach up to 4 meters in height. For more information, we encourage you to read this other article on our site about Types of elephants and their characteristics.
Giant Anteater
Another animal with a long snout is the giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), which has a prominent snout that ends with its small mouth, in addition to having a long tongue with no teeth, and on which are the nostrils.
If you want to know what and how the anteater eats, we encourage you to read this other article on Feeding the anteater.
Butterflies and moths
In the case of invertebrates, we can first mention butterflies and moths, which have mouthparts that are provided with a long proboscisthey use to suck nectar from flowers When the trunk is at rest, it is coiled in the shape of a flat spiral, until the animal returns to feed, for which the structure will uncoil.
You will find more information about these incredible animals in the article Where do butterflies live and what do they eat?
Worm on Tape
We also find the animals of the Nemertine phylum (ribbon guanos), which are characterized by a quite elongated proboscis, managing to extend it swiftly to capture its prey. It is covered with mucus, which makes it easy for food to stick and get trapped while the proboscis is retracted.
Also, there is the phylum Enteropneustos or acorn worms. In this case, its appendage or trunk is the active part of the animal, with which it probes the mud in which it lives and with the use of mucus strips collects the food around it.
Examples of animals with short trunks
Among animals with short trunks, we can find the following species:
Tapir or tapir
One of the animals with a small trunk is that of the Tapirus genus, commonly called tapirs or tapirs, in which a proboscis is formed that can vary in sizedepending on the species and the size of the individual, however, in all cases it gives them a highly developed sense of smell. It should be noted that the tapir's trunk is an extension of its nose
Elephant seal
On the other hand, we find the group belonging to the genus Mirounga, usually known as sea elephants. The peculiarity in these is that the trunk is present only in adult males, who develop a proboscis that hangs over the mouth, which they can inflate and use to face to other males in the breeding season, although they also make loud sounds through this organ.
Saiga Antelope
The saiga antelope (Saiga tatarica) is a herbivorous animal that lives in Asia and also has a curious nose in the shape of a trunk or proboscis, which is flexible and wideThese animals live in habitats with changing conditions, and their noses allow them to filter dust from the areas in which they are located, as well as warm the cold winter air before it reaches the lungs.
Proboscis monkey
Another animal with a short snout is the proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus) and, although both males and females have a large bulging nose with fleshy tissue, in males it is usually much larger, in fact it exceeds the mouth. When they are upset or in the reproductive act, the nose swells and reddens. They also use it to make loud sounds when they feel in danger.
Babirusa and boar
Other two animals that have small trunks or pronounced noses are the babirusa (Babyrousa babyrussa), a pig native to Indonesia, in the that highlight its two large tusks that grow upwards, and on the other hand, we have the wild boar (Sus scrofa), also an artiodactyl, but of the genus Sus, who has a highly developed sense of smell.
Moles and shrews
Moles and shrews also have a snout-shaped head extension In the former it is quite flexible, while in the latter is more pointed and with the presence of whiskers. In both cases they correspond to prolongations in which the animal's nose ends, so that its trunks give them a good sense of smell
Several of the animals with trunks are in some category of the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In this sense, African elephants are classified as vulnerable, while Asian elephants are in danger of extinction. For its part, the babirusa is considered vulnerable and the saiga antelope in danger of extinction. In the case of all tapir species, they unfortunately fall into the same category as above.