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scorpion tail
Why don't humans have tails?
The elongated tail feathers of the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) are an example of honest handicap signaling. Long tails are a handicap for males because they increase drag and reduce agility. However, males with long tails tend to be strong and healthy and thus are the preferred mates of females. Peacock coloration
What a rattlesnake's rattle looks like
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Videos

Why don't humans have tails?
Scientists have narrowed the answer down to a single genetic mutation.
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
What a rattlesnake's rattle looks like
The rattle of a rattlesnake.
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Images

scorpion tail
Scorpion tail.
© ANGEL OCTAVIO BURGUETTE MORALES—iStock/Getty Images
The elongated tail feathers of the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) are an...
Mdf

Interactives

Peacock coloration
Drag the sliding bar to see how a peacock can change its feathers.
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
VIEW MORE in these related Britannica articles: