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Boosted by brib@bribstodon.xyz ("brib :neofox_floof: :Nonbinary:"):
datarama@hachyderm.io wrote:
Time for a random animal fact that *isn't* about reptiles, for once!
Did you know that the platypus doesn't have a stomach? Its esophagus connects directly to the intestine, with no sac to soak food in acid in between.
The reason this works is that they have keratin-based grinding "pads" at the back of their mouths, which they use to mash prey animals into a fine paste before swallowing them. Also, they mostly eat soft prey (worms, insect larvae, the occasional tadpole) - and they also eat pretty much all the time, so they don't need to store large meals that take a long time to break down.
This isn't a primitive feature, but a highly specialized one! They are descended from ancestors that did have stomachs - almost all other mammals (the sole other member of the no-stomach club being the echidna), as well as all reptiles and amphibians, have stomachs. Most fish also do.