A Conversation for The Quite Interesting Society
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
hygienicdispenser Posted Feb 6, 2010
They're coated in something that stops the alkali melting their mouths.
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Feb 6, 2010
Nope.
Something more organic than that.
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
toybox Posted Feb 6, 2010
Ah well, it is just there is a French book which might have amused you, but I'm not aware it has been translated. Doesn't matter really.
So it is something on their tongue, rather that the tongue per se, which makes it appear white? Paper? Are flamingos distantly related to vogons?
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
toybox Posted Feb 6, 2010
The stuff egg white is made of? Milk? Clouds?
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Feb 6, 2010
>>So it is something on their tongue, rather that the tongue per se, which makes it appear white? Paper? Are flamingos distantly related to vogons?<<
Not exactly.
The tongue itself is white, it is coated in something which changes it's appearance.
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
Gnomon - time to move on Posted Feb 6, 2010
Their tongues are covered in caustic soda crystals (NaOH) because of the extremely caustic lakes that they live in.
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Feb 6, 2010
Egg whit is made of proteins - this isn't. clouds water vapour. Ditto.
Milk's whiteness is down to a protein called Caesin. and it's not that either.
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Feb 6, 2010
Not Gaviscon.
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Feb 6, 2010
Gnomon raises a pertinent question also, what is their natural habitat?
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
hygienicdispenser Posted Feb 6, 2010
The highlt alkaline conditions that I mentioned twice?
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Feb 6, 2010
And didn't I say that the alkalinity had nothing to do with it? 
No?
Okay - the alkalinity has nothing to do with it.
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
hygienicdispenser Posted Feb 6, 2010
Not Africa, meant to say lakes. Well, in Africa obviously. Water.
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Feb 6, 2010
Would it shock and amaze you if I were to say - it's not Africa. 
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA Posted Feb 6, 2010
Come on chaps!!!!
How does a Flamingo feed???
What is it using its tongue to help it to do??
What is it feeding upon??
My last post. It is alll there!!!
GT
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
hygienicdispenser Posted Feb 6, 2010
>>
Come on chaps!!!!
How does a Flamingo feed???
What is it using its tongue to help it to do??
What is it feeding upon??
My last post. It is alll there!!!<<
A flamingo feeds with its head upside down
So its tongue will be on top of the stuff it's filtering
It's feeding on algae
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. Posted Feb 7, 2010
>>It's feeding on algae<<
A chance for me to be all contrarian again - OH NO IT ISN'T
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
bobstafford Posted Feb 7, 2010
Its a syphon or filter feeder so the tounge could be lined with cartalage or similar to catch the food
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
hygienicdispenser Posted Feb 7, 2010
It isn't feeding on algae?? Now he tells us. Though it is the algae that do the pink thing, yes? Are they a thing that they accidentally ingest, like if you eat the peanuts off the dish on the bar you get seventeen other peoples faeces as well?
Key: Complain about this post
QI - Stick it out and say "Ahhh"
- 41: hygienicdispenser (Feb 6, 2010)
- 42: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Feb 6, 2010)
- 43: toybox (Feb 6, 2010)
- 44: toybox (Feb 6, 2010)
- 45: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Feb 6, 2010)
- 46: hygienicdispenser (Feb 6, 2010)
- 47: Gnomon - time to move on (Feb 6, 2010)
- 48: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Feb 6, 2010)
- 49: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Feb 6, 2010)
- 50: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Feb 6, 2010)
- 51: hygienicdispenser (Feb 6, 2010)
- 52: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Feb 6, 2010)
- 53: hygienicdispenser (Feb 6, 2010)
- 54: hygienicdispenser (Feb 6, 2010)
- 55: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Feb 6, 2010)
- 56: gandalfstwin OGGMSTKMBGSUIKWIATA (Feb 6, 2010)
- 57: hygienicdispenser (Feb 6, 2010)
- 58: Clive the flying ostrich: Amateur Polymath | Chief Heretic. (Feb 7, 2010)
- 59: bobstafford (Feb 7, 2010)
- 60: hygienicdispenser (Feb 7, 2010)
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