Black Jacks

 

 Black Jacks

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Thinking about black tongues the other day, I suddenly remembered Black Jacks. They are a British confection that was introduced by Trebor in the 1920s. They had a lovely aniseed taste, still one of my favourite flavours, and were renowned for being chewy and turning your tongue black. That was a delight for young children.

Then I pondered black tongues in general. Giraffes have black tongues, as an aid against sunburn as they spend much time browsing the top branches of trees when, along with mad dogs and Englishmen, they are out in the midday sun. Actually, that’s not true, as giraffes avoid the hotter parts of the day.

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The Okapi is native to the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is related to the giraffe and is known as the forest giraffe, living and feeding in dense tropical forests. Its other names are Congolese giraffe and zebra giraffe, the latter name because of its striped hind quarters. Its dark tongue is longer than a giraffe’s and is used for browsing and grooming. It shares the same gait as the giraffe, both limbs on one side stepping together, unlike other ungulates (hooved animals) which move their legs alternately. The okapi is an endangered species, being prey to poachers for meat, and also at danger from habitat destruction and warfare.

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Other wild animals with dark tongues include the Giant anteater, which uses its spine-covered long tongue to extract termites, and Malayan Sun bears, whose tongues are used to eat honey and insects from beehives. The Giant anteater’s tongue is extremely long, and highly active, able to flick in and out of the animal’s narrow snout almost three times a second. The anteater has no teeth and restricted jaw movement, so uses its tongue to crush ants against its palate before swallowing them. Its stomach does not produce gastric juices but uses the formic acid of the termites it swallows to digest them.

Black bears’ and Polar bears’ tongues may also be black on the underside. Other bears with black or dark tongues include the Giant Panda, the Sloth, American black bears, and Grizzly bears. Sometimes, tongues appear black because of the animal’s diet.

Jersey cow
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Among domestic animals, some cattle, notably the Jersey and Angus breeds, have black tongues. Usually, those with black tongues have darker coats. Jersey and Angus cows do not carry the gene for pink tongues, so a calf with a black tongue born to another breed may have inherited it from Jersey or Angus predecessors.

Chow Chow
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

In the canine world, Chow Chows have blue-black tongues. They are a Chinese breed of large dog with thick, double coats, and were originally bred to guard, hunt, and herd. They are known to be loyal and independent. As puppies, their tongues are pink, becoming darker when they are about nine or ten weeks old.

One legend about the dark tongue of a Chow Chow says that when the sky was being painted, the dogs licked up the spilt blue drops. Another says that an ill monk asked a Chow Chow to collect firewood and the dog’s tongue turned black from licking the charred wood. That doesn’t make a lot of sense, for surely the dog would not be collecting burning wood. I think something may have been lost in the translation there.

A livelier story has the Chow Chow hating the darkness of nighttime and trying to lick away the blackness of the evil, dark spirits.

Shar Pei puppies
Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

The Shar Pei is another ancient Chinese dog breed, notable for its much-wrinkled skin and dark tongue. Like the Chow Chow, it was originally bred to guard and to hunt, and was also used in dog fighting. The wrinkles in its skin were a protection in fighting, preventing an opponent gaining a firm grip. It is a medium-sized dog and is loyal and protective of its family.

Blackbird in honeysuckle, Crowthorne

It is not clear why some animals in extremely hot environments have black tongues, while others do not. Similarly, some birds, even in temperate climates, have black tongues. Blackbirds have black tongues, but their relatives, the Thrushes, have tongues that are pink.

I’m sure someone somewhere is preparing a thesis on tongue pigmentation!