 A terrestrial salamander catches its prey by flicking out its sticky tongue in an action that takes less than half a second . In some species , the tongue is attached anteriorly to the floor of the mouth , while in others , it is mounted on a pedicel . It is rendered sticky by secretions of mucus from glands in its tip and on the roof of the mouth . High @-@ speed cinematography shows how the tiger salamander ( Ambystoma tigrinum ) positions itself with its snout close to its prey . Its mouth then gapes widely , the lower jaw remains stationary , and the tongue bulges and changes shape as it shoots forward . The protruded tongue has a central depression , and the rim of this collapses inward as the target is struck , trapping the prey in a mucus @-@ laden trough . Here it is held while the animal 's neck is flexed , the tongue retracted and jaws closed . Large or resistant prey is retained by the teeth while repeated protrusions and retractions of the tongue draw it in . Swallowing involves alternate contraction and relaxation of muscles in the throat , assisted by depression of the eyeballs into the roof of the mouth . Many lungless salamanders of the family Plethodontidae have more elaborate feeding methods . Muscles surrounding the hyoid bone contract to store elastic energy in springy connective tissue , and actually " shoot " the hyoid bone out of the mouth , thus elongating the tongue . Muscles that originate in the pelvic region and insert in the tongue are used to reel the tongue and the hyoid back to their original positions . 
