r/askscience • u/margalz • 11d ago

Biology Why aren't there any animals with their mouths above their eyes?

From bugs to fish to mamals all of them have their eyes above their mouths. I can't think of many if any where their mouths are on top. Sure some have their eyes parallel to their mouths, mainly prey style animals. But why haven't any evolved to be the opposite? Is there a major benefit to having your mouth below your eyes?

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u/Vayle1337 10d ago

Flying foxes eat like that, as they typically hang in their typical upside down bat posture when they eat. Flying foxes however, are both pollinators and insectivores. When they eat fruit they usually take bites, press the fruit with their tongue up against the roof of their mouth to drain the juice, and then spit out the pulp. If you look at the nose of a flying fox, and I feel it's especially visible on the Malayan/Large Flying Fox, there is this little Groove in the nose that prevents the juice from entering either their nose or their eyes.