The sticky, slimy tongues of chameleons and salamanders may not sound like a great inspiration for engineering projects or medical innovations. But according to researchers at the University of South Florida, the same biological mechanics used to capture and devour bugs could accomplish similar feats inside your bloodstream—and even in outer space.
Chameleons and salamanders don’t encounter one another in the wild. Chameleons prefer to stick to warmer climates amid branchy trees and bushes, while salamanders mostly keep to moist, shaded environments such as decaying leaf debris and dark caves. But being total ecological strangers doesn’t mean they have nothing in common. All you need to do is watch them eat to see the striking similarity.
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