Tail Facts for Kids

A dog with a raised tail

A tail is the part at the very back of an animal's body. Lots of animals have tails, like cats, dogs, whales, fish, cheetahs, and monkeys. Tails can be long or short, fluffy or smooth, and they help animals in many different ways.

How Animals Use Their Tails
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How Animals Use Their Tails

An Arctic fox sleeping with its tail wrapped around itself like a blanket.

Animal tails are super useful! They help animals move around, keep their balance, talk to each other, and even protect themselves.

Moving Around and Staying Balanced

For fish and other creatures that live in the ocean, tails are like powerful engines. They help them swim and move through the water.

Many animals on land use their tails to keep their balance. Think of a cat walking on a fence or a kangaroo hopping. Their tails act like a counterweight, helping them stay steady.

Some monkeys and opossums have special tails called prehensile tails. These tails are strong enough to grab onto tree branches, helping them climb and swing safely through the forest.

Brushing Away Pests

Have you ever seen a horse or a cow swish its tail? They do this to brush away annoying flies and other biting insects. It's like a built-in fly swatter!

Talking with Tails: Social Signals

Tails are also used for sending messages to other animals. It's like a secret language!

Some types of deer will flash the white underside of their tails to warn other deer that there might be danger nearby.
Beavers slap the water with their tails to tell others that something is wrong.
Dogs show how they are feeling by how they hold and move their tails. A wagging tail usually means they are happy, while a tail tucked between their legs might mean they are scared.

Protection and Defense

Some animals have tails that are like armor, helping to protect them. Other tails can be dangerous! For example, scorpions have tails that contain venom, which they use to sting and protect themselves.

Dropping and Regrowing Tails

Some lizards have an amazing trick: they can drop their tails if a predator grabs them! This is called autotomy. The tail keeps wiggling, distracting the predator, while the lizard runs away. Don't worry, the tail usually grows back over time, though it might be a slightly different color.

Some types of rats can do something similar called degloving. This is when the outer skin layer of their tail peels off, helping them escape from a predator's grip.

Bird Tails: Steering and Showing Off

Most birds have long feathers at the end of their tails called rectrices. These feathers are like a rudder on a boat, helping the bird steer and turn when it's flying. They also help birds balance when they sit on branches.

In some birds, like birds of paradise or peafowl, their tail feathers are very long and colorful. They use these beautiful tails to attract a mate during courtship displays. Other birds, like woodpeckers, have stiff tail feathers that help them brace themselves against tree trunks while they peck for food.