Tail
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226041560
2008-07-16T15:51:00Z
Vaughnstull
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punctuatio
{{otheruses}}
[[Image:Scorpion_tail.jpg|180px|thumb|A scorpion tail]]
The '''tail''' is the section at the rear end of an [[animal]]'s [[body]]; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible [[appendage]] to the [[torso]]. It is the part of the body that corresponds roughly to the [[sacrum]] and [[coccyx]] in [[mammal]]s and [[bird]]s. While tails are primarily a feature of [[vertebrate]]s, some [[invertebrate]]s—including [[scorpion]]s and [[springtail]]s—have tail-like appendages.
==Function==
Animal tails are used in a variety of ways. They provide a source of [[Animal locomotion|locomotion]] for [[fish]] and some other forms of [[marine life]]. Many land animals use their tails to brush away [[fly|flies]] and other biting insects. Some species, including [[cat]]s and [[kangaroo]]s, use their tails for [[Equilibrioception|balance]], and some, such as New World [[monkey]]s and [[opossums]], use their [[prehensile tail]]s to grasp tree branches.
[[Image:pfau imponierend.jpg|left|thumb|[[Peacock]] in full courtship display]]
Tails are also used for social signaling. Some [[deer]] species flash the white underside of their tails to warn other nearby deer of possible danger, and [[canids]] (including domestic [[dog]]s) indicate [[emotion]]s through the positioning of their tails. [[Evolution|Evolutionary]] pressures have led to the development of armored tails in some species, and some, such as the tails of [[scorpion]]s contain [[Venom (poison)|venom]].
Some species of [[lizard]] can [[Casting (tails)|detach]] ("cast") their tails from their bodies. This can help them to escape from [[predator]]s, which are either distracted by the wriggling detached tail, or left with only the tail while the rest of the lizard flees. Tails cast in this manner generally grow back over time, though the replacement is typically darker in color than the original.
The tails of most birds end in long [[feather]]s called rectrices. These feathers are used as a rudder, helping the bird to steer and maneuver in [[Bird flight|flight]]; they also help the bird to balance while it is perched. In some species—such as [[birds of paradise]], [[lyrebirds]] and [[peacocks]]—modified tail feathers play an important role in [[courtship#Courtship in the animal kingdom|courtship]] displays. The extra-stiff tail feathers of other species, including [[woodpecker]]s and [[woodcreeper]]s, allow them to brace themselves firmly against tree trunks.
==Human tails==
Human [[embryo]]s have a tail that measures about one-sixth of the size of the embryo itself. As the embryo develops into a [[fetus]], the tail is absorbed by the growing body. The developmental tail is thus a [[human vestigial]] structure. Infrequently, a child is born with a "soft tail", which contains no vertebrae, but only blood vessels, muscles, and nerves, although there have been a very few documented cases of tails containing cartilage or up to five vertebrae. Modern procedures allow doctors to eliminate the tail at delivery. The longest human tail on record belonged to a twelve-year-old boy living in what was then [[French Indochina]], which measured 229 mm (9 inches).<ref>{{cite web | title = Humans Evolved from Ape-like Ancestors | url = http://www.dimaggio.org/Eye-Openers/tails_in_humans.htm}}</ref> A man named [[Chandre Oram]] (he is also called Hanan), who was lives in West Bengal, a state in India, is famous because of his {{convert|13|in|mm|sing=on}} tail. Nonetheless, it is believed to be a true tail but a case of [[spina bifida]].
Humans have a [[tail bone]] (the [[coccyx]]) attached to the pelvis, in the same place which other mammals have tails. The tail bone is formed of fused [[vertebra]]e, usually four, at the bottom of the [[vertebral column]]. It doesn't protrude externally, but retains an anatomical purpose: providing an attachment for muscles like the [[gluteus maximus]].
==References==
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[[Category:Animal anatomy]]
{{anatomy-stub}}
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[[ca:Cua (anatomia)]]
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[[fr:Queue (animal)]]
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[[he:זנב]]
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[[nl:Staart]]
[[ja:尾]]
[[no:Hale]]
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[[pl:Ogon]]
[[pt:Cauda]]
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[[simple:Tail]]
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