June 6, 2011
One of the most popular posts on the Seymour Science blog this past year was called: DOGS vs CATS: An Experiment. We reported on a study that showed that unlike dogs, who slurp their water and make a mess when they drink, cats drink daintily, using their curled tongue to pull liquid into their mouths in a neat stream.
Two scientists at Harvard’s Museum of Comparative Zoology decided to study dog drinking habits and see if this is actually true. They found that the way dogs get liquids into their mouths is very similar to what a cat does. And they have an x-ray to prove it!
Click here to see an x-ray of a dog drinking.
It turns out that dogs, just like cats, form their tongues into a "scoop" to pick up liquids. And also like cats, the liquid sticks to the tongue, forming a stream that is trapped when the animal closes its mouth.So dogs and cats are very much alike, at least when it comes to drinking!
To read more about puppies and why they do what they do, download my new eBook, WHY DO PUPPIES DO THAT? You can buy an iPad version in the iTunes store, and it is now also available for the Nook Color. Happy reading!
Posted by: Seymour Simon
