Page 30 - Mammal (DK Eyewitness)

What is a tail for?
Bones from horse’s tail
Elephant tail

On the inside, the mammalian tail is a continuation of the
spine, made up of a column of vertebrae (backbones). But on the
outside, tails are as varied in size, shape, and function as their
owners. They can be fluffy scarves for winter warmth, whisks or
switches to get rid of flies, or strikingly patterned flags that convey a
mammal’s mood and intentions to others. Most of us are familiar with
a dog wagging its tail when happy and lowering it between its legs
when scolded, or a cat twitching its tail when annoyed. Tail talk is
common among mammals, with small variations in the posture
and movement of the tail communicating aggression,
submission, and other behaviors. Relatively few mammals
lack tails. They include, of course, ourselves. The
evolutionary remainder of our tail is a small knob of
four or five fused vertebrae, the coccyx, at
the base of the human spine.

Horse tail

HAIRY FLY WHISK
The horse’s tail is made of hundreds
of long, thickish hairs that the animal
uses as a fly whisk to swish away
irritating pests. The last 15 or so
vertebrae of the spine occupy about
half the tail’s length (above), and
these are moved by lengthwise
muscles. Holding the tail up is a sign
of arousal (as when courting); tail-
lashing indicates the horse is angry,
irritated, or perhaps in pain.

TRUNK TO TAIL
The largest living land animal has
thick, sparsely haired skin - but a
comb of wiry hairs at the end TAIL TUFTS
of its tail. When The lion’s long,
elephants walk in single mobile tail has
file, each may curl a small tuft of
its trunk around dark hairs at
the tail of the one its tip (far
in front. left). Young
cubs often play
with the tail tuft of
Thick, an adult, practising
stiff hairs pouncing. The
fallow deer’s tail
(left) is dark on top
Fallow deer with a white
tail tuft under-side. The
fur on the body
under the tail is
also whitish,
with black
Tail is stripes. When
made from danger threatens
long hairs the tail is held
erect, which
flashes a
visual warning
Lion tail to other deer in
tuft the herd.
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