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Tail vibration is distinct from caudal luring, where the tail is twitched in order to attract prey. While rattlesnakes are perhaps the most famous group of snakes to exhibit tail vibration behavior, many other snake groups—particularly those in the Colubridae and Viperidae families—are known to vibrate their tails.
Vibration (from Latin vibrāre 'to shake') is a mechanical phenomenon whereby oscillations occur about an equilibrium point.Vibration may be deterministic if the oscillations can be characterised precisely (e.g. the periodic motion of a pendulum), or random if the oscillations can only be analysed statistically (e.g. the movement of a tire on a gravel road).
This suggests that gopher snake tail vibration may in fact be rattlesnake mimicry since the behavior appears to be breaking down in areas without rattlesnakes, perhaps because predators on these islands have no reason to evolve to avoid tail-vibrating snakes (rattlesnakes are venomous, gopher snakes are not).
A white-tailed deer's tail. The tail is the elongated section at the rear end of a bilaterian animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage extending backwards from the midline of the torso. In vertebrate animals that evolved to lose their tails (e.g. frogs and hominid primates), the coccyx is the homologous ...
However, the tail is still long enough to be of important use in many species, and is modified in some aquatic and tree-dwelling species. [ citation needed ] Many modern snake groups originated during the Paleocene , alongside the adaptive radiation of mammals following the extinction of (non-avian) dinosaurs .
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The outer tail-feathers for example are stronger and much more stiff compared to the inner tail-feathers and they have strong hooks which join the barbules of the rear vane in order to prevent it from breaking at high wind speeds. [1] [2] To ensure that the vibrations occur within a safe limit, the wings of the snipe are used. [2]
An immobile tail does not attract prey, confirming that it is the moving lure that tricks and attracts prey. [11] Caudal luring behavior is only elicited when prey are nearby. [11] Due to the tail resembling a writhing caterpillar and another worm-like insect larvae, the tail of the snake is often referred to as a vermiform. [2]