The longest tail of any living animal on Earth can be classified into two categories: in terms of body size and in terms of absolute length.. Which animal on our planet has the longest tail Live Science writes about this.

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Relative to body size, grass lizards have the longest tails of all known living animals on Earth.. According to American biologist Tommy Owens, the tails of these small lizards are 2-3 times longer than their bodies.. For example, grass lizards of the species Takydromus sexlineatus can have a total length of up to 30 cm, but only 5-8 cm is body length, and the rest is tail length.

These lizards, which are native to China and Southeast Asia, use their very long tails to navigate tree branches and tall grass.. With the help of their tail, lizards can balance when moving, and also move from a higher to a lower branch.. This movement helps lizards avoid predators.

But like many other lizards, grass lizards can lose their tails if they are caught by predators.. As a result, the lizards run away and stop vigorous activity for several months until a new tail grows.. At this time, grass lizards move only short distances.

If we talk about the absolute length of the tail, then the longest tail among all animals living on Earth is the fox shark (genus Alopias), says American biologist Jay Bradley.

Fox sharks are a migratory species and they use their huge tails primarily for propulsion. The upper part of the caudal fin can reach 3 meters in length. But these sharks use their tails not only to move in the ocean, but also to hunt.

Fox sharks mainly feed on small fish that move in large groups in the ocean. Sharks use their tails to stun their prey and then eat the fish that have stopped.

Only over the past 20 years have scientists been able to capture this hunting method of fox sharks several times. According to scientists, sharks swim up to a group of fish, stop and wave the upper part of the caudal fin like a whip, which stuns the prey.

At the same time, another species of animal on Earth has a very long tail, both in absolute length and in relation to body size. These are stingrays whose tails can be 3 times longer than their disc-shaped bodies..

Scientists don't often measure the length of stingray tails because predators can easily bite off part of the tail.. But, for example, stingrays of the species Himantura leoparda can grow up to 1.2 meters wide and 4 meters long, including tails. These stingrays use their tails for stability when swimming and for protection from predators..

When the latter approach the bottom rays, they can swing their tails and hit the predator with a poisonous spike..

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