Frogs do more than just blink!

According to a study, frogs do more than just blink when they close their eyes while swallowing — its eyes actually retract down towards its oesophagus! Eye retraction can occur bilaterally or unilaterally, and both swallowing movements and eye retraction can occur separately as well as together. During swallowing, the eyes and associated musculature retract well into the oropharynx and appear to make contact with the food item. This contact appears to help push the food toward the oesophagus, and it may also serve to anchor the food for tongue-based transport.