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Don't look inside a sea turtle's mouth
And you thought acid reflux was bad.
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September 30, 2026 Fact of the Day Reptiles Some sea turtles have spikes in their mouths and throats. By Michael Nordine We tend to think of sea turtles as calm, docile creatures that represent the vast serenity of the sea — but then, most of us have never seen the inside of their mouths. Many sea turtles have sharp spikes known as esophageal papillae in their throat, which help them with one of their favorite activities: eating jellyfish. Those backward-facing spikes aren’t teeth, however; they’re made of keratin and essentially act as a filter that guides jellyfish into their stomach and prevents them from stinging the turtle’s throat along the way. Sea turtles tend to ingest a lot of seawater when feeding, which they essentially vomit back up once they’re done, and the papillae ensures their food isn’t expelled along with it. Ready to learn about other horrifying tongues? True or False? A giraffe’s tongue is dark purple to protect it from sunburns. True False Keep Exploring Reptiles What’s the Difference Between a Turtle and a Tortoise? Reptiles Why Do Snakes Flick Their Tongues? Reptiles Watch a Green Sea Turtle Eating Seagrass Was this email forwarded to you? Sign Up Advertise Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use 325 North LaSalle Street, Suite 200, Chicago, IL 60654 If you'd like to unsubscribe from all Animal Facts emails, click here.