Proboscises are one of the most unique and amazing adaptation in the animal kingdom. Proboscises are elongated organs with a general purpose of collecting, transferring and manipulating fluids such as water, saliva, and nectar. They come in all sorts of shapes, ranging from small flexible tubes, to large and powerful muscular organs. Proboscises are most notably seen in animals like butterflies, humming birds and elephants. They are primarily used for the purpose of fulfilling the animals’ needs and can be of great help. For example, butterflies use proboscises to extract nectar from flowers, and humming birds also use them to gather nectar as a nutrition source. Also, elephants use their trunk as a snorkel of sorts when they swim through water. In other animals, proboscises have entirely different functions. Some insects use them as a defense mechanism, flicking theirs around to scare off potential predators. Others use them as tools to capture their prey, such as the proboscis monkey which utilizes a long proboscis to extract termites from their mounds. Overall, proboscises are truly fascinating structures and no two types are ever the same. They are probably one of the most extraordinary adaptations found in the animal kingdom.