The animal's tail is located on the back of its body, it is a flexible extension of its body and has various functions. Tails can be found in all classes of animals, both vertebrates and invertebrates. These appendages serve a number of purposes including: balance, communication, and protection from predators. Tail length can be measured in several ways, although the two most common methods are exact length and percentage of the animal's total body length. We invite you to meet 11 special animals that will definitely show off their long tails.
Onagadori
The undisputed winner among the 10 animals with the longest tails is the Onagadori, whose tail never stops growing throughout its life. Thanks to selection work, it was possible to create a species with an incredibly long tail, the average length of which is from 4 to 9 meters. But the absolute record holder among onagadori is a bird with a tail length of more than 13 m.
Scorpion
This arthropod is easily recognized by its curved, segmented tail. On its last part there is a sting. Scorpions use it only as a last resort, mainly for protection. They kill small victims with their claws. After all, the poison that is in the needle is not restored soon - no earlier than two weeks.
Some species of scorpions, like lizards, can throw off their tails when absolutely necessary. At the same time, they lose not only their formidable weapons, which no longer grow back. Along with it, part of the digestive system also disappears. Without it, the scorpion can live, feed and even reproduce for several months, and then dies.
frilled lizard
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The frilled lizard has the longest tail among reptiles. These lizards are quite large individuals, more than 90 centimeters long, where the tail is about 2/3 of this length and weighing up to one kilogram. In large individuals, the tail length reaches 80 centimeters. The color of the frilled lizard directly depends on its environment, so it is mostly gray or brown.
Urchin fish
Hedgehog fish Hedgehog fish is common in almost all tropical seas and coral reefs. This is a half-meter fish, capable of inflating in case of danger and taking the shape of a ball. Its entire body is strewn with large sharp needles, which allows the hedgehog fish to protect itself from predators. As long as the hedgehog fish is not bloated, it seems harmless. Often even sharks and barracudas succumb to this gentle appearance and end their lives by choking on a urchin fish. Fishermen often find dead sharks with bloated urchinfish stuck in their throats.
The needles of these fish pose a particular danger to those who like to swim among coral reefs.
Astrapia
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In the kingdom of wild birds, the astrapia is the winner in terms of tail length in relation to the length of its body. The tail is 3 times the length of the bird's body. With a length of up to 32 centimeters, astrapia has a gorgeous tail more than 1 meter long. Due to hunting for their tail feathers, as well as large-scale logging and forest degradation, some habitats are threatened with extinction. But in hard-to-reach areas, astrapias remain safe.
Spider Monkey
This monkey received its nickname precisely because of its unusual “fifth limb.” She successfully uses it as a leg, so she very much resembles a spider.
The animal's tail is very long - much longer than that of other monkeys. Its peculiarity is not only its incredible tenacity, but also its strength: the monkey can easily hold on to it without the help of its paws.
And one more unusual property - the last quarter of the tail is devoid of hair and has small growths. They are very tenacious, help the animal to hold on and can even serve as kind of fingers. With their help, the monkey can even perform complex and subtle actions, such as picking up a nut.
Peacocks
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Peacocks are large, colorful birds that are also known for their rainbow tails. These bright feathers, arranged in a special order, make up more than 60% of the bird's total body length and can reach a length of 1.5 meters. The chic bright tail is used in mating rituals and displays. Females are believed to choose their mates based on the size, color and quality of those scandalous tails.
Long-tailed velvet weaver
This unusual bird lives in Botswana, Angola, Kenya and South Africa. These small, colorful birds are known for their extremely long tail feathers. For males, their tail feathers are what makes it possible to attract a female. Most adult males have six to eight of their 12 tail feathers extending half a meter from their bodies. As they fly over their territory, their feathers follow them, making them look much larger than they really are.
Pheasant argus
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Among the 10 animals with the longest tails, the undisputed winner among wild birds is the Argus pheasant. One of the largest representatives of pheasants, as well as the longest-tailed bird in the world. The tail length of an adult bird reaches 1.7 meters. The colorful, iridescent feathers are often a coveted hunting trophy.
Hippocampus denise (seahorse)
Adult length: 1 cm.
Perhaps you are eager to learn more about this cute seahorse? Let's begin! Hippocampus denise lives in the depths of the sea, and is the smallest among the other seahorses. Tiny creatures live alone or in small groups.
These animals are masters of camouflage - their yellowish-orange color allows them to easily blend in with the branches of the coral among whose branches they live and “hide.”
Denis's camouflage turned out to be so effective that the animal was discovered only because it ended up in the laboratory along with its home - a gorgonian branch.
Lemur
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Another owner of an impressive tail among the 10 animals with the longest tails is the lemur. The length of its tail is twice the length of its body. All species of lemurs are endemic to the island of Madagascar off the coast of Africa. In lemur society, females are the dominant members of the social hierarchy. This social structure is rare among mammals. Because of their long, colorful, striped tails, lemurs are frequent residents of many zoos.
Blue-headed magnificent bird of paradise
This unusual bright bird is found on only two islands in Indonesia. Her multi-colored outfit is truly gorgeous. Her tail, which seems to be forged from thin wires, deserves special attention.
This amazing element consists of two thin dark purple feathers, which are twisted in different directions from the body into two graceful rings. The bird itself measures only 16 cm in size, and with its tail - 21 cm.
She is known for her unusual love of cleanliness and order. As soon as she sees trash or disorder somewhere, she, no matter what, descends from the tree and begins to restore order.
Big flying possum
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Twice as long as the body and tail of a large flying possum. With a body length of about 35 centimeters, this is the largest marsupial that is capable of hovering, and has a tail up to 60 centimeters long. An inhabitant of the open forests of Australia feeds mainly on the leaves of eucalyptus trees. The Great Flying Possum likes to rest in a hollow tree during the day and feed at night.
Why do animals need tails?
For an animal, the tail is an important and necessary part of the body. With its help, they perform various actions that help them survive in the cruel world of the jungle, steppe or our northern forest. The tail can perform many functions:
- gripping, like howler monkeys, who firmly grab a branch with their tail and hang upside down on it;
– a balancer, like in cats, which use it to maintain balance while moving at height or while jumping;
– protection from parasitic insects, like those of horses and cows, which drive away blood-sucking horseflies and gadflies with their tails;
– a parachute, like a squirrel’s, which he helps jump to the ground from the treetops;
– weapons, like a crocodile or a monitor lizard, which kills animals with a blow of its tail for food and protection from danger;
– blankets like those of a fox or arctic fox, which cover themselves with a fluffy tail in winter and sleep warm;
– a pantry for supplies, like a ram storing fat in its fat tail;
- decoration, like that of a peacock or pheasant, the males of which attract females for mating with their beautiful tail.
Giraffe
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The owner of the longest tail among land mammals is the male giraffe. The tail of this long-necked animal can grow up to an incredible 2.5 meters. The giraffe's very long legs, about 1.8 meters, allow it to run at a speed of close to 56 km/h for short distances and 16 km/h for long distances. Even the giraffe’s tongue is very long – 53 centimeters. He helps him pick tasty leaves from the branches. Giraffes eat most of the time and, like cows, chew their food like cud. The giraffe eats hundreds of kilograms of leaves every week and must travel hundreds of kilometers to find enough food.
Australian leaf-tailed gecko
This strange animal lives in the tropical forests of Madagascar. It has the amazing ability of mimicry - camouflage under the environment. The gray-yellow-green color helps him in this.
And not the least role is played by his unusual tail. It looks like two peas in a pod and looks like an old decaying leaf. It has the same protrusions, irregularities, even veins. The organ serves as a wonderful element of camouflage for the gecko.
Among mosses, lichens, dry branches and leaves, it is almost impossible to notice. Leaf-tailed geckos are often kept in captivity in terrariums.
Irbis or snow leopard
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Rounding out the top 10 animals with the longest tails is the very rare snow leopard.
With a mass of about 40 kilograms, its body has a length of 1.4 meters, where the tail becomes about one meter of this length. If we compare the proportions of the tail and body, the snow leopard has the longest tail of the entire cat family, it is more than 3/4 of the body length. The snow leopard is perfectly adapted to harsh conditions. Thanks to its fluffy fur, it is not afraid of frost and cold piercing winds. Hunts mountain goats, less often other ungulates and marmots. Tags Unusual animals
Slender armored spindles
At first glance, this species is easy to mistake for a snake, but in fact it is a lizard. This is an important distinction because a snake's tail is actually only a tiny part of its body. This lizard has no legs, so people undoubtedly and mistakenly think of them as snakes. Unlike snakes, they have movable eyelids, external ear openings and a rigid jaw. The tail of these lizards often accounts for more than half of their total body length.
Irish Wolfhound
A dog named Finnegan lives with his owners in the Canadian city of Calgary. His incredible tail was included in the pages of the Guinness Book of Records! The owners say that it is so heavy and large that the dog rarely waves it, it is too difficult. Interestingly, this is not the longest tail in animals. The real record holder will be mentioned below, but the dimensions of this part of Finnegan’s body reach seventy-two centimeters. And the dog itself looks like a giant: standing on its hind legs, the Irish Wolfhound can easily rest its front legs on the owner’s shoulders. However, it’s all about the breed, which has long been famous for its parameters. For example, Finnegan's parents were even larger, but their puppy got a unique long tail.
