Top 20 Animals With Flat Tails And Learn How They Use Them
Some animals swim, maintain balance, or use their tails to communicate with the help of flat tails. They tend to be broad and powerful. Most of the animals use their tails to pull in circles in water or alert other animals. Some use them for protection. Flat tails are typical of mammals, reptiles and even birds. In this article, we will explore the top 20 animals with flat tails and learn about their lives, diets & interesting facts.
Quick Reference Table: 20 Animals With Flat Tails, Their Class, Diet & Scientific Names
| No. | Animal Name | Scientific Name | Class | Diet |
| 1 | Beaver | Castor canadensis | Mammalia | Herbivore |
| 2 | Alligator | Alligator mississippiensis | Reptilia | Carnivore |
| 3 | Platypus | Ornithorhynchus anatinus | Mammalia | Carnivore |
| 4 | Crocodile | Crocodylus niloticus | Reptilia | Carnivore |
| 5 | Muskrat | Ondatra zibethicus | Mammalia | Herbivore |
| 6 | Flat-Tailed Gecko | Uroplatus fimbriatus | Reptilia | Carnivore |
| 7 | Capybara | Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris | Mammalia | Herbivore |
| 8 | Tasmanian Devil | Sarcophilus harrisii | Mammalia | Carnivore |
| 9 | Wood Duck | Aix sponsa | Aves | Omnivore |
| 10 | Sea Otter | Enhydra lutris | Mammalia | Carnivore |
| 11 | Spiny Softshell Turtle | Apalone spinifera | Reptilia | Omnivore |
| 12 | Common Muscovy Duck | Cairina moschata | Aves | Omnivore |
| 13 | Bison | Bison bison | Mammalia | Herbivore |
| 14 | Otter Civet | Cynogale bennettii | Mammalia | Carnivore |
| 15 | Nutria (Coypu) | Myocastor coypus | Mammalia | Herbivore |
| 16 | Green Iguana | Iguana iguana | Reptilia | Herbivore |
| 17 | Common Bearded Dragon | Pogona vitticeps | Reptilia | Omnivore |
| 18 | Ring-Tailed Lemur | Lemur catta | Mammalia | Omnivore |
| 19 | Red-Eared Slider | Trachemys scripta elegans | Reptilia | Omnivore |
| 20 | Black-Capped Capuchin | Cebus capucinus | Mammalia | Omnivore |
Read Also: Top 25 Most Energetic Animals
Detailed Look At Animals With Flat Tails
1. Beaver
Scientific Name: Castor canadensis
Class: Mammalia
Diet: Herbivore
The beavers are characterized by the flat paddle-shaped tails. They co-exist close to rivers, lakes and streams. They have tails that assist them to swim and navigate water. Beavers are known to construct a dam. They fell trees and build structures in water with the help of branches. Such dams are able to alter the river stream and form new wetlands.
Their tails are also used to issue warnings. In case of danger a beaver taps his tail on the water so as to warn others. It also has the ability to store fat in the tail in order to survive extreme winters. Beavers possess powerful teeth which keep on increasing. They are bark, leaf and water plant eaters.
Beavers are social animals. They also tend to live in families. To be safe, they make lodges that have their entrances at the bottom of the water. Their tails are flat thus making them good swimmers. Beavers have the ability to spend up to 15 minutes beneath water.
Fun Fact: Beavers are one of the few animals that can create their own habitats, and their tails play a crucial role in their survival.
2. Alligator
Scientific Name: Alligator mississippiensis
Class: Reptilia
Diet: Carnivore
The tails of alligators are very big, long and flat topped. Their tails serve the purpose of swimming. They are used to burrow through water and prey on fish, birds and small mammals. Alligators inhabit fresh water in rivers, lakes and swamps.
Their tails too may be protective. An alligator can hit with its tail to frighten the predators or their competition. The tail also accumulates fat that makes them survive in times of scarcity of food. Alligators possess a hardened and shelled skin that shields them against attacks.
They are ambush predators. Alligators might tend to conceal themselves in water and only the eyes and nostrils are visible. They attack suddenly with force when they come near prey. They also have powerful tails that enable them to move on the land to balance their bodies.
Alligators use sound and nonverbal means of language. These signs include tail motions. Learning through adults, young alligators support themselves by using tails in swimming and avoiding danger.
Fun Fact: An alligator can use its tail to break through ice in winter or even to herd fish into shallow water for hunting.
3. Platypus
Scientific Name: Ornithorhynchus anatinus
Class: Mammalia
Diet: Carnivore
Platypus is among the few mammals that have a flat tail. This is used to steer it when swimming in rivers and streams in eastern Australia. Platypus is a nocturnal animal and spends the majority of its time in water in search of food.
Platypuses feed on insects, larvae, shell-fish and small crustaceans. They rely on prepaying by using their bills. Fat is also stored in the tail which is helpful in the winter season when there is a lack of food. On the land, the tail plays a role in balancing the platypus when he is excavating burrows.
They have large, flat tails, as of a beaver, and yet they do not build dams like platypuses. They live alone, and dwell in burrows along the water. Platypuses are able to seal their ears and eyes in water and their tails help them to keep track of direction during hunting.
Fun Fact: The platypus is one of the few venomous mammals. Males have spurs on their hind legs, but their flat tails are harmless and help with swimming.
Read Also: Top 25 Animals With Long Legs
4. Crocodile
Scientific Name: Crocodylus niloticus
Class: Reptilia
Diet: Carnivore
The tails of crocodiles are flat and muscular and they are necessary in swimming. They are fast in water by side to side tail movements. The crocodiles feed on fish, birds and mammals, usually hiding in the water to ambush the prey.
The tail also acts as a weapon. The crocodiles are able to strike with it to push away their prey or to protect themselves. On land, the tail beams their huge bodies. The crocodiles are aquatic animals (rivers, lakes and wetlands) of Africa and other places.
The tails are very essential to young crocodiles as they use them to flee their enemies. The adult crocodiles also use their tails to splash their enemies or to attract the opposite sex. They are capable of maintaining a long time under water by staying there with the assistance of the tail.
Fun Fact: Crocodiles can regenerate skin and scales along their tails, making them highly resilient even after injuries.
5. Muskrat
Scientific Name: Ondatra zibethicus
Class: Mammalia
Diet: Herbivore
The tails of muskrats are flattened and scaly to enable them to swim in ponds and marshes. They are not as large as a beaver, but have certain behaviors in common. Muskrats construct lodges with plants and mud and make little dwelling places on the water.
They consume meeting plants, roots and aquatic vegetation. On land they balance with their tail and on water propel with the same. The muskrats are generally night animals and this activity occurs at nighttime.
The rear can be used as a warning method as well. Muskrats when scared tap their tails to the water in order to warn others. Their tails not only keep fat but this comes in handy during cold seasons. Muskrats are able to swim a number of minutes in water having not come to the surface any more.
Fun Fact: Muskrats can eat underwater by holding plants in their paws and using their tails for stability.
6. Flat-Tailed Gecko
Scientific Name: Uroplatus fimbriatus
Class: Reptilia
Diet: Carnivore
The flat-tailed gecko inhabits the Madagascar forests. It has a large flat tail which makes it blend into tree bark. This tail is one of its main elements of camouflage. It enables the gecko to remain out of sight of predators such as birds and snakes.
The gecko is primarily a night animal. It also preys at night, consuming insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates. Fat also works its way to the tail providing the gecko with the energy when there is a lack of food. Flat-tailed reptiles have the ability to lose their tails when they are in threat. This is called autotomy.
They also use their flat tails in climbing. The gecko is able to lean its tail against trees or stump to get more balance. This complicates their notice by the predators. Sticky toe pads of the geckos are to be used in conjunction with the tails.
They communicate in minor gestures. Stress or alarm can be denoted through tail twitching and lifting. Juvenile geckos use their tails in order to move through the bushes in the process of learning to hunt.
Fun Fact: The flat-tailed gecko’s tail can grow back if lost, but the new tail often looks slightly different from the original.
7. Capybara
Scientific Name: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris
Class: Mammalia
Diet: Herbivore
The capacitybaras are the biggest rodents in the world. Their tails are very short and almost flat but they serve the purpose of balancing the body when the animals amble across water. They are great swimmers, and are able to remain submerged for some time.
Capybases consume grass, water plants and fruit. The tails assist them to move or push them in water and also in turning rapidly when they are running away as they rule predation. These people are found in families around rivers, lakes and marshes in South America.
Their low tails are also mood indicators. At rest, the tail is in a low position, however when danger is near it can twitch. Water is used by capybaras as a means of avoiding predation and tails provide stability during the floating or running stage in shallow waters.
It is significant in social behavior. Capybaras use whistles, purrs, and the movements of tails. When learning to manage wetlands, young capybaras learn by swimming with their tails and making balance.
Fun Fact: Capybaras have partially webbed feet that, together with their flat tails, make them one of the fastest swimming rodents.
Read Also: Animals That are Skinny
8. Tasmanian Devil
Scientific Name: Sarcophilus harrisii
Class: Mammalia
Diet: Carnivore
The Tasmanian devils are actually thick and flat tailed which aid in the balancing as they walk or run. They are only found in Tasmania, Australia. They also save their fat in the tails and can be used when they have to be fed scarcely.
They are hunters and vultures. They feed on small mammals, birds, insects and carrion. The tail assists them to balance when shredding food. Devils are mostly nocturnal. In the daytime they are sleeping upon dens or hollow logs.
Tasmanian devils used to communicate by means of growls, screams, and movement of their tails. In times of danger they can also smoke their tails as part of a show. Children of the devil have their tails as support when walking or climbing with adult devils.
Their tails are inflexible like other mammals, yet they give them strength to survive. Tasmanian devils are solitary yet they gather to feed with tails used to provide space to competitors.
Fun Fact: A devil’s tail can store enough fat to help it survive up to two weeks without eating.
9. Wood Duck
Scientific Name: Aix sponsa
Class: Aves
Diet: Omnivore
Wood ducks possess long tails, which are flat-tailed and, therefore, publicize swimming. They inhabit riverbanks, lakes and wetlands in North America. The tail serves as a rudder when the plane is going through water and when it is taking off or landing.
They consume seeds, water plants, insects and minor fish. It has good divers and swimmers and that is good. When diving or floating, their tails help to steer and in maintaining balance. The feathers are of different colors to the male and female, yet they all communicate using tails.
The nest of the wood duck is in a cavity of trees. The young ducks swim with the flat tail that enables them to move efficiently after abandoning the nest. The ducklings are often transported by the parents over the water and the tails allow them to maneuver quickly.
They are reputed to be fast and agile swimmers. Movements made by the tail are warnings or courtship. During swimming, ducks have the use of tails in the process of speed and direction, in combination with feet.
Fun Fact: Wood ducks’ flat tails can spread wide to act like a brake, helping them stop quickly on water.
Read Also: Top 20 Animals That Gallop
10. Sea Otter
Scientific Name: Enhydra lutris
Class: Mammalia
Diet: Carnivore
The sea otters possess long muscular flat tails. Their tails assist them to propel themselves in the water as they hunt sea urchins, crabs and fish. They reside and build on shores of the northern Pacific Ocean.
Their tails are also flat and they use this to balance on water when they are lying on their backs. In the cracking of shells, sea otters employ the aid of tools such as rocks which they usually support themselves with resting on their tail. The tail conserves power and gives stabilization in high currents.
Otters are gregarious, and even make groups of dozens together of them. The movements of the tail could be playful, alarming or slapstick. Young otters need tails so much and to learn swimming and cling to their mother.
Sea otters are also furry as opposed to blubber. The tails combined with webbed feet also enable them to be good swimmers and hunters.
Fun Fact: Sea otters can wrap themselves in kelp and use their tails to anchor themselves to avoid drifting while sleeping.
11. Spiny Softshell Turtle
Scientific Name: Apalone spinifera
Class: Reptilia
Diet: Omnivore
The spiny softshell turtle possesses a tail similar to a pancake and that aids in swimming. It inhabits the rivers, lakes and streams in North America. The tail is not long but strong and flexible which helps in movement underwater.
They are insectivores and crustaceans and feed on aquatic plants. They have a flat tail that is used to act as a rudder thus providing precision when pursuing game or when evading predators. S intended to live under the water bodies by burying themselves in the sand or mud, and have only their heads on the surface to breathe.
Their tails are round and therefore they are balanced on the land when making nests. This is because females clear sand using tails and hind limbs before laying eggs. Tails help juveniles to move with great speed and escape their enemies such as birds and raccoons.
Softshell turtles can conceal themselves and the shells and tails can be used to render them invisible. Due to the movement of the tail, sand is stirred and this helps in camouflage. They spend most of their time alone but are observed luxuriating with people in the daytime.
Fun Fact: The spiny softshell turtle can retract its head and limbs, but its tail remains visible, helping it steer while buried in sand.
12. Common Muscovy Duck
Scientific Name: Cairina moschata
Class: Aves
Diet: Omnivore
The muscovy duck has a flat and wide tail that helps it to swim. They are native to the Central and South American regions where they live around rivers, ponds, and wetlands. The tail serves to control the manoeuvres in water.
They consume insects, seeds, plants and little fish. When swimming the tail assists in balancing and steering. Muscovy ducks also do very well on land, and they can use the tail to give them ground when making sharp turns or going through small elevations.
The tail as well conveys social messages. A duck can flick or raise his tail when they showcase or warn about danger. Young ducks learn how to swim and steer, keeping track with the tails.
In most regions muscovy duck is semi-domesticated. They have tails that are not rounded but robust altogether making them agile in water. They nest in the cavity of trees or close to water.
Fun Fact: Muscovy ducks can spread their tails wide while swimming to slow down quickly and make sudden stops.
13. Bison
Scientific Name: Bison bison
Class: Mammalia
Diet: Herbivore
Bison have short, wide tails which are flat at the bottom. They are swatted with these tail to keep the insects at bay and to balance themselves during running. They inhabit grasslands, plain and prairies in North America.
They consume grass, bountiful herbs and shrub roots. The tail assists in keeping the body in a stable position when moving at high speed and when grazing. The tail is an indication of dominance or vigilance during language. Bison are gregarious, and the movements of the tail also form a means of conveying minor messages to the other herbs.
Calves are dependent on the protection of the mothers and the tails help in balance whether running with the adults. Bison have a maximum top speed of 35 miles per hour and the tails serve as rudders to help them avoid falling.
The Bison also lie down and use their tails to cover the sensitive parts of the body such as the rear to protect them against biting insects. Its flat bottom on its tail gives it strength, thus it is a useful survival utility.
Fun Fact: Bison tails can be flicked rapidly, and some can beat flies at more than 50 times per minute.
Read Also: Top 22 Quiet Animals in the World
14. Otter Civet
Scientific Name: Cynogale bennettii
Class: Mammalia
Diet: Carnivore
Otter civet has a long, wide tail which helps in swimming and balancing. It inhabits the fresh rivers and streams in Southeast Asia. The tail is powerful and assists in steering when fish and crustaceans are being chased.
They consume small water creatures, insects, and amphibian living beings. The level tails assist them to stay straight in water and stand on the slippery rocks. Otter civets are nighttime and are generally lonely.
Communication is also helped by the tail. When the tail is in an up position, it can be an expression of alertness, aggression or curiosity. Tails are used as the swimming practice of the juveniles overseen by the mother.
Otter civets are great swimmers. Their webbed feet and flat tails ensure that they are good hunters. They spend a lot of their time in water but also hitch trees with the aid of tails to ensure that they have a balance.
Fun Fact: Otter civets can remain submerged for several minutes, using their tails as rudders to navigate efficiently.
15. Nutria (Coypu)
Scientific Name: Myocastor coypus
Class: Mammalia
Diet: Herbivore
The tail of a nutria is flattened with scales and assists in pushing the nutria in water. They are indigenous to South America where they are found in numerous wetlands throughout the world. Their tails are used as rudders when they are swimming and climbing banks.
They consume aquatic plants, roots and crops. Nutria are creatures of night and they live in burrows that are close to water. Their tails allow them to balance their steps in slippery mud or in swift swimming.
In the flat tail, there is also thermoregulation. In cooler water nutria are able to bundle their bodies around the tails to keep warm. Youngsters are trained on how to swim and climb with the assistance of tails.
The rapid reproduction and destruction of habitats make nutria invasive in most areas. They can only survive with the help of their tails when they are in water.
Fun Fact: Nutrias use their tails as paddles to dig burrows underwater and escape predators quickly.
16. Green Iguana
Scientific Name: Iguana iguana
Class: Reptilia
Diet: Herbivore
Green iguanas have long flat tails, which have many functions. They play on them to maintain balance in climbing trees and when swimming on a river or a pond. Their tails may also serve as a whip, in order to defend them against the predator.
Iguanas feed on flowers, fruit, and leaves. They have flat tails, which store fat, which gives them energy when there is a shortage of food. In case of danger, an iguana can shake its tail fast to frighten the predators or escape when caught.
Communication also comes with the help of the tail. The movement of the tail can also be used by the iguanas to signify their alert status or submission. Juveniles train their swimming skills with the use of tails because of learning how to climb and adults in the habitat.
The green iguanas are mostly arboreal. They spend the majority of their life in trees but go to the water to swim or evade danger. These have tails which assist them in moving through the branches and stabilizing their movement.
Fun Fact: Green iguanas can detach their tails to escape predators, and the tail will grow back, though it looks slightly different.
Read Also: Top 20 Animals With Long Tail
17. Common Bearded Dragon
Scientific Name: Pogona vitticeps
Class: Reptilia
Diet: Omnivore
The tails of bearded dragons are flat which makes them more stable on barks and rocks. Unlike in Europe and America where the green tail is used, they are born into their native Australia and use the tail to hold stable as they move or climb on the rough ground.
They consume insects, small animals, fruits and plants. This is done by the tail which is used in communication, a beardy will wave its tail in order to show submission or social interaction. Tails are used by juveniles in learning how to climb and hunt.
Bearded dragons are primarily land based but arboreal in cases where it is needed. Their tails assist them to balance them when basking or running away. They are also able to lash their tails in case they are threatened, but not as vigorous as some reptiles.
The fat is stored in the tail and this can be used in extreme conditions. It also assists in thermoregulation whereby heat exposure is controlled during basking.
Fun Fact: Bearded dragons can display their tails while turning their bodies to appear larger to predators.
18. Ring-Tailed Lemur
Scientific Name: Lemur catta
Class: Mammalia
Diet: Omnivore
The tails of the ring-tailed lemurs are flat and bushy and help them to balance as they travel over the trees and the ground. They inhabit Madagascar forests and scrublands. The importance of their tails is due to their stability and communication.
They consume fruit, leaves, flowers and insects. Lemurs attract attention by their tail positions that indicate group cohesion to other members of the group to food or danger. When they are jumping and climbing, juveniles make use of tails to be able to maintain balance.
Ring-tailed lemurs are social mammals and inhabit large groups referred to as troops. The tail assists in the coordination of movement when at rest. When playing or courtship, the tails are waved or raised up.
The tail itself does not produce any fat, however, it is required in daily movements and communication. Its flatness provides power and stability when climbing and/or jumping.
Fun Fact: Lemurs often wave their tails like flags to maintain group visibility in dense forests.
19. Red-Eared Slider
Scientific Name: Trachemys scripta elegans
Class: Reptilia
Diet: Omnivore
The tails of red-eared sliders are flat and it makes them swim effectively in the pond and lakes. They dwell in freshwater environments in North America. Swimming and turning are carried on by the rudder of the tail.
They consume plants, insects, small fish and algae. Their tails give them stability in water particularly when the fish are in search of food or they seek to evade predators. Young ones rely on tails to navigate narrowly in water-laden plants.
The tail is also useful in basking. Logs or rocks allow sliders to support their bodies with the use of a tail. Tails are used by adults to help in mating or in placing on surfaces that are not the same.
Sliders with red ears are powerful swimmers. Their tails are flat giving them an added agility which is complimented with their webbed feet which make them good at eluding danger.
Fun Fact: Red-eared sliders can flick their tails underwater to create ripples, signaling alertness to other turtles.
Read Also: Top 25 Animals That Eat a Lot
20. Black-Capped Capuchin
Scientific Name: Cebus capucinus
Class: Mammalia
Diet: Omnivore
The tree climbing forest black-capped capuchin possesses tails which are flat to aid in balancing on trees. They have prehensible tails and are able to hang on to branches during movement or foraging.
They consume fruits, insects, small animals and nuts. The tail supports and gives stability when performing complex actions, including tree spoiling. During their training to forage and avoid predators, juveniles train to use tails as footing and holding on.
Capuchins are highly social. They communicate by use of tails during play, grooming and hunting. One can discern mood or willingness to pass through the troop by its tails.
Their low tails cannot be done without. They enable capuchins to get to food sources that are inaccessible by other animals. The tail is extra strong in hanging or swift moving halfway across the forest canopies.
Fun Fact: Capuchins sometimes use their tails to carry small items temporarily while using their hands for other tasks.
Final Words
Animals with flat tails are more than just a body part. They aid in swimming, balancing, communication, and survival of animals in their environments. Beavers or alligators, lemurs or capuchins, all animals have a flat tail but make use of it in different ways. Some of them store fat, some of them are the ones which work as rudders, and some of them signal the danger or contact with their group.
By learning about these 20 animals with flat tails, we can see how nature adapts creatures to their habitats. These tales demonstrate that one feature alone can be a huge difference in the ability to survive. The next time you see an animal with a flat tail observe its movement, swimming, and interaction. It is a minor component of the body with an enormous contribution in the wild.
Flat tails teach us that all animals have been perfectly created in their life. They can be viewed as humble things, but necessary to survive in nature.
FAQs:
Q1: What is the purpose of animals with flat tails?
Animals with flat tails to swim, balance, store fat, communicate & sometimes defend themselves.
Q2: Do only mammals have flat tails?
No. Different reptiles, birds and mammals have their tail flats depending on the habitat and their way of life.
Q3: What is the strongest in a flat tail animal?
Crocodiles and alligators have the most powerful tails as they can use them as efficient tools of swimming and as a weapon.
Q4: Do all animals with flat tails use them for swimming?
Not all. Others such as capuchins or lemurs have flat tails that primarily serve functional purposes of stability and communication.
Q5: Does flat tails get back after they are lost?
Other animals such as geckos and iguanas also have the ability to have their tails regenerated but the regenerated tail might appear different.
Q6: Do we use flat tails to store fat?
Yes. Some creatures such as beavers, platypuses and Tasmanian devils keep the fat in their tails as a source of energy during lean periods.
Q7: Could flat ends assist with the communication?
Yes. The use of tail movements is common in many animals in order to warn, express mood or to convey social messages to others.
