A total of 129 tongues were analyzed, which were collected post mortem from rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus f. domestica), aged from day 15 of prenatal development (p.c.) to the 6th month of postnatal life (p.p.). The tongue was formed on the basis of its primordia starting as early as day 15 p.c. At that time the first primordia of lingual papillae were observed, which were primordia of circumvallate papillae. At day 18 p.c. the presence of primordia of fungiform papillae was shown, while at day 22 p.c. primordia of foliate and filiform papillae were found. On the dorsal surface of the tongue during the development the torus and median sulcus of the tongue were formed. The median sulcus ended in front of the torus of the tongue. The tongue in the rabbit increased in length from day 22 p.c. to the 6th month p.p. from 9 mm to 65 mm. During that time the weight of the tongue increased from 0.05 g to 9.59 g. The development of the final form of the tongue is a long-term process and occurs both during the prenatal and postnatal life. First primordia of gustatory papillae appear and only later primordia of mechanical papillae are formed.

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