Closeup image of the Cairns Birdwing, showing its large proboscis

A syrphid fly using its proboscis to reach the nectar of a flower

In general, a proboscis (from Greek pro "before" and boskein "to feed") is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal. The most common usage is to refer to the tubular feeding and sucking organ of certain invertebrates like insects, worms (including proboscis worms) and molluscs. The elephant's trunk is also called a proboscis. An abnormal facial appendage that sometimes accompanies ocular and nasal abnormalities is also called a proboscis. The term is used for primate organs as well: an elongated human nose is sometimes facetiously called a proboscis and the Proboscis Monkey is named for its enormous nose. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation). ... Feeding is the process by which organisms, typically animals, obtain food. ... Suction is the creation of a partial vacuum, or region of low pressure. ... Invertebrate is an English word that describes any animal without a spinal column. ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Symphypleona - globular springtails Subclass Archaeognatha (jumping bristletails) Subclass Dicondylia Monura - extinct Thysanura (common bristletails) Subclass Pterygota Diaphanopteroidea - extinct Palaeodictyoptera - extinct Megasecoptera - extinct Archodonata - extinct Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Blattodea (cockroaches) Mantodea (mantids) Isoptera (termites) Zoraptera Grylloblattodea Dermaptera (earwigs) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, crickets... For other uses, see Worm (disambiguation). ... Classes Anopla Enopla Synonyms Rhyncocoela [1] Nemertea is a phylum of invertebrate animals also known as ribbon worms or proboscis worms [1]. Most of the 1,400 or so species are marine, with a few living in fresh water and a small number of terrestrial forms; they are found in... Classes Caudofoveata Aplacophora Polyplacophora - Chitons Monoplacophora Bivalvia - Bivalves Scaphopoda - Tusk shells Gastropoda - Snails and Slugs Cephalopoda - Squids, Octopuses, etc. ... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... Families 15, See classification A primate is any member of the biological order Primates, the group that contains all the species commonly related to the lemurs, monkeys, and apes, with the latter category including humans. ... For other uses, see Nose (disambiguation). ... Binomial name Wurmb, 1787 The Proboscis Monkey, Nasalis larvatus also known as Long-nosed Monkey is a reddish-brown arboreal Old World monkey. ...

The correct Greek plural is proboscides, but in English it is more common to simply add -es, forming proboscises.

Notable mammals with some form of proboscis are:

• Members of the elephant family (see elephant trunk).
• Moeritherium
• Macrauchenia
• Palorchestes
• Aardvark
• Tapiridae
• Elephant shrews
• Numbat
• [(Female Mosquitoes)]

Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... Genera and Species Loxodonta Loxodonta cyclotis Loxodonta africana Elephas Elephas maximus Elephas antiquus † Elephas beyeri † Elephas celebensis † Elephas cypriotes † Elephas ekorensis † Elephas falconeri † Elephas iolensis † Elephas planifrons † Elephas platycephalus † Elephas recki † Stegodon † Mammuthus † Elephantidae (the elephants) is a family of pachyderm, and the only remaining family in the order Proboscidea... Species Schlosser, 1911 Delmer et al. ... Binomial name Owen, 1838 Macrauchenia patachonica (literally Big Neck (of) Patagonia) was a long-necked and long-limbed, three-toed South American ungulate mammal, typifying the order Litopterna. ... Binomial name Palorchestes azael Palorchestes azael is an extinct species of marsupial. ... For other uses, see Aardvark (disambiguation). ... Species Tapirus bairdii - Bairds Tapir Tapirus indicus - Malayan Tapir Tapirus pinchaque - Mountain Tapir Tapirus terrestris - Brazilian Tapir A tapir is a large, browsing animal, roughly the shape of an over-sized pig but with a short, prehensile trunk. ... Genera  Rhynchocyon  Petrodromus  Macroscelides  Elephantulus The small insectivorous mammals endemic to Africa known as elephant shrews are neither elephants nor shrews and, more formally, are the members of the biological order Macroscelidea. ... Binomial name Myrmecobius fasciatus Waterhouse, 1836 Subspecies Myrmecobius fasciatus fasciatus Myrmecobius fasciatus rufus The Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) is a small marsupial endemic to western Australia. ...

See also

• Snout