Long tails have a few different benefits for animals. They help them steer and even make it easier for them to move around in tough environments like forests. When it comes to animals with long tails, though, there are many types of species that you should know about.
Here is a list of 14 animals with long tails.
1. Ring-Tailed Lemur
The Ring-tailed Lemur is a type of lemur (family Lemuridae) that lives in Madagascar. It is sometimes called the ring-tailed lemur. The Ring-Tailed Lemur is named for its long, black ring around its tail of around 39-46 cm. It has a yellow face with dark eyes and large ears that can be seen
moving when it hears something. These lemurs are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day.
They spend most of their time in trees, which they move between as needed to find food or sleep. They also like to sleep in holes in trees or rock crevices.
Ring-Tailed Lemurs live alone or in pairs but will interact socially with other species members if they find themselves together at different times during the day. The Ring-Tailed Lemur feeds mainly on fruit, figs, vines, and some leaves. They also eat insects and small mammals such as
rodents.
2. Long-Eared Jerboa
The long-eared jerboa is a small rodent. It is a member of the family Dipodidae and the genus Allotrochus. The long-eared jerboa lives in deserts and other arid areas of Northern Africa, Eastern Europe, and Western Asia.
The long-eared jerboa is an active burrower who spends most of its time underground. Its fur color varies from sandy brown to reddish brown. Its tail can extend past its body length when it runs around, which makes it look like it has a long tail. These animals have large eyes that help them
see well in dim lighting conditions.
This species feeds on underground seeds, plants, insects, and other invertebrates. It will also eat leaves from bushes if necessary.
3. Spider Monkey
The Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) is a small New World monkey native to the tropical forests of Central and South America. It is one of the world’s smallest monkeys, with a body length of up to 35 cm (14 in) and a tail length of up to 13 cm (5.1 in).
They are greyish-brown, with a greyish belly and white rump. They have long, thin arms and fingers, which they use to grasp branches during feeding and climbing. Males have vibrissae on their chin, while females lack them entirely.
The Spider Monkey lives in groups of 8–15 members led by an older male known as a silverback. The group travels in large troops throughout their range. Spider Monkeys live in the upper canopy of tropical rainforests, where they eat fruits, leaves, flowers, and insects.
4. Leopard Whipray
The Leopard Whipray (Himantura pardina) is a species of ray-finned fish in the family Torpedinidae. The species is found in the Indian Ocean, the western Pacific Ocean, and possibly the East China Sea. It is also found on coral reefs and rocky shores from Indonesia to New Caledonia.
Leopard whip rays have a long tail that can reach a length of up to 85 cm (33 in). The body is small, with large eyes, an upturned mouth, and numerous large teeth. It reaches a maximum length of about 5.5 feet (1.7 m).
5. Long-Tailed Grass Lizard
The long-tailed grass lizard (Takydromus smaragdinus) is a lizard found in southern Australia. It has a long tail, which can be longer than its body, and the tail is the longest of any lizard in Australia.
The long-tailed grass lizard is a small reptile that grows to a maximum of 14 cm (5.5 in). They have smooth scales with brown spots on their backsides. Their eyes are dark brown with yellow eyelids, and they have two rows of spikes running down both sides of their bodies.
Long-tailed grass lizards feed on insects and spiders, but they will also eat small mammals if they can catch them.
6. Tree Kangaroo
The tree kangaroo is a small marsupial that lives in the forests of Australia. It has a long, black, prehensile tail that can be used as a fifth limb. Its tail is usually about 4 feet (1.2 m) long but can reach up to 8 feet (2.4 m). The tail provides balance for the tree kangaroo as it climbs trees and jumps from branch to branch.
The tree kangaroo has a pouch on its belly that stores its young during pregnancy and birth. The pouch keeps the mother warm by keeping her blood close to her skin. During mating season, males will bite their females on the neck to make them release their urine and feces.
7. Snow Leopards
Snow leopards are the world’s smallest and most endangered cats, having been driven to extinction in the wild. Their numbers have rebounded due to captive breeding programs, leading to reintroducing some areas of their historic range.
A snow leopard is about the size of a large house cat (about 20–23 inches long) and weighs between 35 and 50 pounds. It has a long tail that can be nearly half its body length (13–16 feet long); males have long tails that are black or brown on top and white underneath, while females have
short tails are black or brown on top with a ring of white fur below.
Snow leopards have large paws with five toes on each foot and sharp claws that they use to climb trees. Their general coloration is tan or gray with black spots or rosettes on their bodies, but some adults may have a white chest and belly. They have small ears covered in fur that allows
them to hear prey from great distances away; this ability helps them stalk prey in treetops where other predators wouldn’t see them well enough.
8. Howler Monkey
The howler monkey is one of the largest primates in the Americas. It has a large, dog-like face and a long, thick tail.
Howler monkeys use long tails to hang upside down when sleeping or resting. They also use their tails as a prop when they are grooming themselves or carrying their infants. Its body is covered with long hair that helps it to blend in with the trees it lives in.
Howler monkeys use long tails to hang upside down when sleeping or resting. They also use their tails as a prop when they are grooming themselves or carrying their infants.
The howler monkey’s diet consists of fruit, nuts, and insects. It can also eat leaves and other plants if necessary. The meat from its prey is stored in its cheeks for later consumption. The howler monkey spends most of its time sleeping during the day and hunting at night.
9. Red Kangaroo
The red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus) is a large, arboreal marsupial that inhabits woodlands, grasslands, and another open country in the south-eastern part of Australia. It is the largest species of kangaroo and has been known to grow to 1.8 m (6 ft) tall at the shoulder and weigh up to 60
kg (130 lb).
The red kangaroo is one of the few extant species of macropod. The others are the eastern grey kangaroo and western grey kangaroo. These three species are often considered conspecific or subspecies of another. The term “red” is an informal description of the color derived from its
predominantly reddish fur, rather than referring to this particular species.
The red kangaroo has a reddish-brown coat which is more brightly colored than most other macropods. Its underparts are lighter in color, with pale cream markings on its chest and stomach. It has a short tail that carries vertically when running at full speed.
10. Angola Colobus
The Angola Colobus is a medium-sized monkey with long, black fur and a white underbelly. It has a tail that is 1.5 times longer than the body and weighs 14 to 25 pounds. The male Angola colobus has throat pouches that can be used to carry food and water while they travel through the
trees.
The Angola colobus lives in sub-Saharan Africa, from Guinea to Gabon. It mainly lives in tropical rainforests and savannas with plenty of fruit trees and other food sources. The Angola colobus does not live alone but in groups of up to 40 members. These groups include a dominant male that
leads all other males in defending territory against other males; females; infants; juveniles; and subadults (young adults).
11. Pangolins
Pangolins are mammals with a long, prehensile tail. The pangolin is the only mammal with a true coat of armor of keratin scales. It has a stocky body shape that looks like a ball when laid on its side.
The most common name for this animal is “pangolin.” The word pangolin comes from the Malay words pangkul for “thorn” and Bulan meaning “ball.” The Malay word for “thorn ball” means a ball with spikes sticking out of it.
Pangolins have shells or bony plates on their backs that grow in alternating rows from the head to tail along the spine. They can grow up to 18 inches long and weigh as much as 20 pounds.
Their bodies are covered with overlapping scales made of keratin (like fingernails), which are very hard and flexible simultaneously. Each scale has a central hole through which blood vessels, nerves, and glands run. When disturbed, pangolins curl into a tight ball that protects them by making them look larger than they are and harder for predators to see or reach.
12. Binturongs
Binturongs are arboreal mammals that live in the forests of Asia. They are distant relatives of hedgehogs and tenrecs, and they share many features with these two groups, such as having long tails and a coat of fur that is dark on top and light underneath.
Binturongs have long tails to balance while moving through the treetops.
Their tail may be up to 3 feet (1 meter) long! Binturongs also have a short snout, large eyes, and ears set back on their heads to help them hear better in the trees.
Binturongs live in rainforests, where they eat fruit, leaves, insects, and small animals.
13. Malabar Giant Squirrel
The Malabar giant squirrel is one of the largest species of squirrel found in the world. The Malabar giant squirrel is a semi-arboreal species that lives in India, Sri Lanka, and parts of Southeast Asia.
The Malabar giant squirrel is a medium-sized squirrel with a long tail and large ears. It has a reddish brown fur coloration with a white belly and lighter underparts. The fur on the head and neck is shorter than those on other parts of the body. However, this species does not have a distinct
facial mask like other members of the genus Sousa such as the common marmoset or tamarin monkeys.
14. Jesus Christ lizard
The Jesus Christ lizard is a lizard native to the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, Mexico, and Baja California. They are most commonly found in the Chihuahuan Desert and western Texas.
They have a wide range of colors, including orange, red, yellow, and brown.
The Jesus Christ lizard is one of many lizards that live in the Sonoran Desert. They are active during the day but stay hidden during night hours. The Jesus Christ lizard can grow up to two feet long and weigh up to five pounds. It has a long tail that can reach up to six inches
long.
The Jesus Christ lizard lives near water sources such as streams and lakes, so it can drink water daily if necessary. They prefer living near humans because they like the food sources that people provide for them.
Wrapping Up
For many animals, long tails are not only for show but also for protection. Their incredible size and flexibility help protect the animals from attack by predators or prevent them from being found by predators. Here is our collection of gorgeous long-tailed animals.