Dictionary > Prehensile tail

Prehensile tail

Definition
noun, plural: prehensile tails
A tail characterized by its adaptive features, enabling the vertebrate animal to grasp or hold objects with its tail
Supplement
A prehensile tail pertains to the tail of certain animals that enable the latter to grasp or hold objects. There are several animal groups with a prehensile tail. One of them is the New World monkeys. The prehensile tail is a characteristic feature of New World monkeys and it sets them apart from the Old World monkeys. This feature is essential since these animals live in dense forests and they make use of their prehensile tail as if it is an extra arm or leg as they swing from a branch to another.
A fully prehensile tail is one in which the animal can fully hold on to and manipulate an object with its tail. Examples of animals with fully prehensile tail are opossum, anteaters, harvest mice, tree pangolins, and seahorses. In contrast, a partially prehensile tail is one wherein the tail is used for anchoring the animal’s body as the animal climbs atop the tree. Some of the vertebrates with prehensile tail include northern tamandua, tree porcupine (Coendou spp.), possums, salamanders (e.g. Aneides spp., Eurycea sp., etc.), pipefish, and few other seahorses.
See also:

  • New World monkey


You will also like...

Sugar Homeostasis
Sugar Homeostasis

The blood sugar level is regulated by two hormones. The mechanism behind this type of negative feedback control is descr..

Plant Water Regulation
Plant Water Regulation

Plants need to regulate water in order to stay upright and structurally stable. Find out the different evolutionary adap..

Transpiration
Water in Plants

The movement of molecules (specifically, water and solutes) is vital to the understanding of plant processes. This tuto..

Ecosystem Succession
Ecosystem Succession

If the balance of nature is left untouched, landscapes can change dramatically over time. A previous ecosystem is supers..

Homo Species
The Homo Species

The evolution of the species of the genus "Homo" led to the emergence of modern humans. Find out more about human evolut..

mRNA
Protein Synthesis

Part of the genetic information is devoted to the synthesis of proteins. mRNA, a type of RNA, is produced as a transcri..