If you’re looking for a laugh, or you simply enjoy exploring animals with strange physical features that make them stand out from the crowd – you’ve come to the right place. 

Today, we’ll delve into the captivating world of animals with long faces. 

So get ready to expand your horizons and chuckle at some of nature’s wackiest creations. 

List of Animals With Long Faces

• Aardvarks
• Saiga Antelopes
• Giant Anteaters
• Moose
• Tapirs
• Camels
• Borzois
• Horses

Aardvarks

These quirky nocturnal pig-like animals have long, tubular snouts that make them instantly recognizable. But, what do they use those long noses for, you may ask? 

Well, they use them to sniff out their favorite meal: termites and ants! With their impressive sense of smell and large nostrils, aardvarks can detect these tiny insects from far away.

Once they find their prey, aardvarks use their 12 inch long tongues coated in sticky saliva to gulp them down. Yum! 

And although insects make up most of their diet, aardvarks sometimes treat themselves to beetle larvae as well.

Saiga Antelopes

The saiga antelope’s face is something special! It’s like a super strange mix between a cartoon character and an alien creature.

But in spite of that, the saiga antelope’s funny face actually serves some pretty important purposes.

First and foremost, that long, droopy nose is used as a filtration tool. 

The saiga antelope lives in some pretty dusty, dry environments, and that nose helps filter out all the dirt and debris from the air before it enters the animal’s lungs. It’s like having a built-in air purifier!

In addition to its filtration abilities, that nose also helps the saiga antelope regulate its body temperature.

Related Article: Animals With Long Necks

Giant Anteaters

Now, let’s meet the giant anteater – yet another animal with an absurdly long face. In fact, the anteater’s entire face is one lengthy snout!

This remarkable facial feature is not only fascinating but also functional. The anteater’s snout act like a straw that it can use to easily suck up its favorite food.

But that’s not all – anteaters possess another exceptional adaptation: their incredibly (2 feet) long and agile tongues. These unique creatures can move their tongues in and out of their snouts up to 150 times per minute!

All of these remarkable adaptations work together to help these strange yet fascinating animals efficiently locate, capture, and consume their prey.

Moose

Moose, as you already know, are deer species, known for their enormous size and powerful legs. Although their large, humped torso is easily identifiable, their long face steals the show.

The moose’s face is characterized by its wide and lengthy muzzle, which makes up a good portion of the animal’s total head length. 

So why does the moose have such a massive schnoz? Well, it all comes down to feeding adaptation. 

These giant deer are known to graze underwater during summer months, and their big noses come in handy for keeping water out while they munch on vegetation. On top of this, the moose has 4 inches wide nostrils that expand to the sides rather than at the front.

Imagine trying to eat with your nose flooded – not the most comfortable experience, right? But for the moose, it’s a breeze!

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Tapirs

The largest giant remaining native terrestrial animal in the Amazon, the South American tapir or Tapirus terrestris, is an odd-toed creature that, although like pigs in many ways, has more in common with rhinoceroses and horses.

At first glance, the tapir’s face might not seem all that remarkable. It’s an animal with a trunk, small eyes and ears that somewhat looks like a pig. But from up close, you can notice a few things that make this animal truly unique.

For starters, there’s that snout – it’s not just long, it’s also kind of prehensile. That means tapirs can use it to grasp onto things, like branches or bits of food. It’s like having a hand on your face!

The long snout is also used as a snorkel when the animal is swimming in the waters of the Amazon Rainforest to cool off or to feed on aquatic plants.

Along with it, these animals have a keen sense of smell, which helps them find food and communicate with each other despite their generally weak vision. 

Camels

Speaking of specialized adaptations and unique physical features, the next on our list of animals with long faces are camels. It’s amazing how every part of their face is perfectly adapted to their environment! 

Their nostrils are uniquely adapted to keep out sand and dust – something that is essential in the arid regions they call home. These oval-shaped nostrils can close tightly to keep out sand and dust.

And what about those long lashes? Camels use their thick and long luxurious eyelashes to protect their eyes from the harsh desert winds and sandstorms.

But, there’s more! Camels also have a special adaptation when it comes to their lips. 

Their top lip is split in two, which helps them graze on specific vegetation. Even the thorniest plants are no match for these tough lips!

Borzoi

Did you know that Borzois, also called Russian Wolfhounds, have the longest snouts of any dog breed in the world? Charming title, but what’s the purpose, you may wonder.

The truth is that the breed was originally raised in Russia to hunt wolves and other large game, and their long, narrow snouts were designed to help them track and capture these big prey.

Aside from their impressive hunting abilities, the narrowness of their heads means that Borzois have exceptional vision, allowing them to see over a broad horizon. 

In contrast to the usual dog’s range of vision, which is 250 degrees, the distinctive facial shape of Borzois allows them to see up to 280 degrees around them. 

For this reason, Borzois are types of hunting dogs that rely more on vision than scent when searching for prey.

Horses

Horses have long heads that serve two primary purposes: grazing and detecting predators. Their senses are always on alert and constantly monitoring their environment. 

In practical terms, their large eyes provide a panoramic view of 300 degrees and also excellent night vision. Similarly, their nostrils are crucial for assessing their surroundings. 

On top of all that, their rotating ears also play a part, allowing them to detect sounds that could indicate danger or a need to run away. 

In other words, as prey animals, horses evolved into amazing sensory creatures, and their unique head structure helped them survive. 

Overall, sensory input is critical to their well-being, and their long face structure maximizes their sensory abilities.