6 Animals With Prehensile Tail
Seeing the tail of animals that have a prehensile tail is something that catches our attention, as it works as if it were an additional arm or leg. This member has many benefits! In this article, we’re going to talk about some animals with prehensile tails, all mammals.
Examples of animals with prehensile tails
Due to a biological adaptation, many mammals have a prehensile tail. With it, they can hold objects, cling to tree branches or move through vegetation. The word ‘prehensile’ means precisely ‘capable of holding’ in Latin. Some examples of these animals are:
1. Howler monkey or howler monkey
Native to Latin America, howler monkeys – the photo that opens this article – are primates that inhabit tropical areas and whose name is based on the type of language they use to communicate.
They measure about three feet, but double in size if you add the prehensile tail, which allows them to hold onto tree branches while keeping their hands free to eat. The tail can support your entire body weight without any problems!
2. Anteater or Anteater
This is another animal with a prehensile tail found in America, and although its name indicates otherwise, it is not related to bears.
Vermillions have a robust body up to 130 centimeters in length and a tail that measures about 85 centimeters. Generally, the tail is used so that they cling to trees while inserting their long snout into termite mounds and anthills to search for food.
3. Binturong
Also known as the Asian cat bear, it is a mammal from Southeast Asia, more precisely from the forests of Vietnam, Malaysia, Borneo and Indonesia. With nocturnal habits and omnivorous food – fruits, insects and carrion – the binturong is in danger of extinction due to hunting because of its skin.
In relation to its size, its body measures about 95 centimeters and the tail another 90. It is used for holding on to trees, as they spend a lot of time among them. When they descend to the ground, they support the soles of their feet almost entirely when walking (plantigrade).
4. Harvest Mouse
Its scientific name is Micromys minutus and it is a very small rodent that lives in most of Europe and in central and southeast Asia. It has a light brown coat, round ears, a short snout, and a prehensile tail that can be longer than its entire body.
5. Pangolin
In addition to being one of the animals with a prehensile tail, it is also one of the most fascinating species in existence. It can curl into a ball when it senses danger and protects itself from predators with its tough, scale-covered skin.
The pangolin is typical of Africa and lives in the jungles of the center and west of the continent. This animal has nocturnal and arboreal habits, as it can walk either on its four legs or on its hind legs, using its tail as a counterweight. It can even climb trees without branches.
6. Opossum
The last of the animals with a prehensile tail on this list is an American marsupial that has the ability to adapt to almost any ecosystem, although it opts mainly for the jungle and the forest.
The opossum has a rough coat of varying colors – black, gray, red – and a very long tail, which exceeds the length of its body, whose base is covered with hair, but which has a type of scale at the tip. They use it to hold onto tree branches or wooden posts.
Are there animals with prehensile tails that are not mammals? Yes, there are two fish: the seahorse and the pipefish.
