IFLScience on MSN

We now know what is going on inside the “spider” lure at the tip of the spider-tailed horned viper’s tail

What you’ll discover in this article ・The spider-tailed horned viper has evolved an extraordinary lure at the end of its tail, with a bulb-like end of long, drooping scales to imitate a spider. ・The ...

A fake spider at the tip of this snake's tail helps it lure birds: Scientists get their first look inside it

Lots of animals use mimicry to survive. Some copy the appearance of threatening predators, and others have evolved to ...

Snake grows a fake spider on its tail to lure birds; scans reveal surprisingly normal bones inside

Researchers utilized XCT scanning technology to investigate the unique tail of a viper. The imaging uncovered the presence of ...

This Snake’s Bizarre Tail Looks Like a Spider. Scientists Finally Took a Peek Inside

Scientists have finally taken a look inside one of the most unusual snakes ever discovered—and what they saw was stranger ...
Smithsonian Magazine

The Tip of This Snake’s Tail Looks Like a Spider. But Inside, Its Bones Are ‘Bizarrely Normal’

High-tech scans reveal the first detailed look at the internal anatomy of the spider-tailed horned viper. The findings shed ...
ScienceAlert on MSN

Mysterious Viper With a 'Spider' For a Tail Reveals Another Surprise

(Omid Mozaffari/Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain) A number of creatures on Earth possess a sting in their tails – but there's ...

Snake that hunts with fake spider on its tail shocks scientists

It uses a tail that looks like a spider to lure birds trying to eat the decoy spider. When the time is right, the snake jumps ...