The giraffe's prehensile tongue is about 50 cm (20 in) long. It is purplish-black in colour, perhaps to protect against sunburn, and is useful for grasping foliage, as well as for grooming and cleaning the animal's nose. The upper lip of the giraffe is also prehensile and useful when foraging.
This common species, often referred to as the âchicken snake,â occurs across all of Tennessee. Description: A large snake (42.0 to 72.0 inches in length) with a variable color pattern. Dorsal color is usually black spackled with bits of white between scales and having a light throat. Some specimens may be gray with blotches of brown or darker gray on back. Scales are slightly keeled.
This typically occurs on rocky hillsides. The Blue Racer is a long, fairly slender snake with back, sides and belly colored plain black. Usually there is some white color on the chin and the throat. The scales are smooth, without keels, and the anal plate is divided. This snake is similar in appearance and habit to its close relative, the Black Racer.