David Kjaer / Male American robin (Turdus migratorius) puffed up to keep warm, and perched on Juniper branch, Kentucky, USA

Edwin Giesbers / Rear view of hind legs, pad of foot and tail of Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) walking away in snow, captive

Juergen Freund / Richard Fitzpatrick releases Grey reef shark {Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos} after inserting transmitter into its belly, as part of the Coral Reef census, Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia, April 2008

Patricio Robles Gil / Resplendent quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno) male at entrance to nest hole in tree, showing very long tail feathers, cloud forest El Triunfo biosphere reserve, Sierra Madre del Sur, Chiapas, Mexico

Gerrit Vyn / Adult male Greater Sage-Grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) strutting on a lek. Freemont County, Wyoming, USA, April.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Jensen / Tail fluke of a diving Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) Disko Bay, Greenland, August 2009

Wild Wonders of Europe / Campbell / European river otter (Lutra lutra) hunting in sea, tail above water, Ardnamurchan, Scotland, January 2009

Andy Rouse / Common kingfisher (Alcedo attahis) diving into water while hunting, UK

David Tipling / Nightjar {Caprimulgus europaeus} male in display flight at dusk, North Norfolk, UK, June

Andy Rouse / Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) in snow, with some settled on tail, sitting on a branch, Scotland, UK

Alan Williams / Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) in flight at tide line in winter plumage with tail spread for landing, Whitstable Bay, Kent, UK, December

Andy Rouse / Red Kite (Milvus milvus) in flight, Wales, UK

Pete Oxford / Black-browed Albatross (Thalassarche melanophrys) pair courting, Steeple Jason Island, Falkland Islands

Michael Pitts / Malayan pangolin / Scaly anteater {Manis javanica} in tree, Komodo Island, Indonesia

Mark Taylor / Ginger kitten with tail in the air

Mark Taylor / Brown Roan Italian Spinone puppy, Riley, 13 weeks, chewing his tail

Wild Wonders of Europe / Widstrand / Tail of a flying White tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) Flatanger, Nord Trndelag, Norway, August 2008

Fred Bavendam / Crescent-tail Bigeye (Priacanthus hamrur) in front of a sea fan, Uepi Island, Solomon Islands

Fiona Rogers / Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) infant (less than 1 month) chasing tail of adult lemur. Berenty Private Reserve, Madagascar. Oct 2008.

Anup Shah / Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) male wrist-marking the tail, lip lared and ears back, during territorial confrontation. Berenty Private Reserve, Madagascar. Oct 2008.

Nick Garbutt / Mossy leaf-tailed gecko (Uroplatus sikorae), cleaning its eye and active at night. Ranomafana NP, south east Madagascar.

Kevin Schafer / Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) in Octopus tree, Mantady National Park, Madagascar

Thomas Marent / Fantastic Leaf-tail Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus) mimicking leaves, Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, Madagascar

Thomas Marent / Fantastic Leaf-tail Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus) mimicking leaves, Andasibe-Mantadia National Park, Madagascar

Thomas Marent / Black Lemur (Lemur macaco) male, Lokobe Nature Special Reserve, Madagascar

Philippe Clement / Common Frog (Rana temporaria) tadpole with limbs well developed but tail not yet reabsorbed, Belgium, captive

Rolf Nussbaumer / Booted Racket-tail hummingbird (Ocreatus underwoodii) male flying, feeding from flower, Mindo, Ecuador, Andes, South America, January

Thomas Marent / Black-handed Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) using prehensile tail, Belize

Inaki Relanzon / Close up of eye of Leaf tailed gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus) eye detail, Nosy Mangabe, Northeast Madagascar.

Anup Shah / African lion {Panthera leo} young cub, two months old, playing with mother's tail, Masai Mara GR, Kenya

Georgette Douwma / Domestic horse making use of another horse's tail as fly whisk. UK.

Colin Seddon / Border Terrier climbing into Rabbit burrow, UK

Jose B. Ruiz / Common sparrow {Passer domesticus} preening tail feathers, Moralet, Alicante, Spain

Rolf Nussbaumer / Coppery-headed Emerald, Elvira cupreiceps, male in flight feeding on Spiral Ginger (Costus Pulverulentus), Central Valley, Costa Rica, Central America, December 2006

Matthias Breiter / Bobcat (Lynx rufus) walking in the snow, bobbed tail visible, Kalispell, Montana

Ingo Arndt / Black-handed Spider Monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) hanging by its prehensil tail in forest canopy, Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica

Suzi Eszterhas / African Lion (Panthera leo) seven to eight week old cub playing with its mother's tail, vulnerable, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Suzi Eszterhas / African Lion (Panthera leo) five week old cubs playing with an adult pride member's tail, vulnerable, Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Piotr Naskrecki / Common Flat-tail Gecko (Uroplatus fimbriatus) its mouth is fitted with more teeth than that of any other land animal, to help capture frogs and other small, slippery animals, Madagascar

Piotr Naskrecki / Fantastic Leaf-tail Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus) clinging to a twig, Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) walking across rocks in the Andringitra Mountains, vulnerable, south central Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) portrait on rocks in the Andringitra Mountains, vulnerable, south central Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Crowned Lemur (Eulemur coronatus) male on 'tsingy', vulnerable, Ankarana Special Reserve, northern Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) portrait on rocks overlooking the Andringitra Mountains, vulnerable, south central Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) portrait on rocks in the Andringitra Mountains, vulnerable, south central Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) mother and young, vulnerable, near Andringitra Mountains, south central Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) mother and young, vulnerable, near Andringitra Mountains, south central Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) portrait, vulnerable, overlooking the Andringitra Mountains, south central Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) walking across open ground, vulnerable, Berenty Reserve, southern Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Black and White Ruffed Lemur (Varecia variegata variegata) in rainforest near Mantadia National Park, endangered, Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Verreaux's Sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi) hopping across open ground, vulnerable, Berenty Reserve, southern Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) one of the more bizarre mammals in the world, their peculiar features include huge ears, bushy tail, long shaggy coast, rodent-like teeth and a skeletal 'probe-l...

Pete Oxford / Coquerel's Sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) mother and baby, Ankarafantsika Strict Nature Reserve, western Deciduous forest, Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Coquerel's Sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) in western deciduous forest, Ankarafantsika Strict Nature Reserve, Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Diademed Sifaka (Propithecus diadema), Mantadia National Park, Madagascar

Willem Kolvoort / Silhouette of immature European edible frog (Rana esculenta) on top of waterlily leaf, tail stump still visible, garden pond, Holland

Sue Flood / Tail flukes of two feeding Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), Antarctic peninsula. 2005

Nick Garbutt / Adult Eastern ring tailed Mongoose {Galidia elegans elegans} portrait on fallen log, Marojejy National Park, Madagascar.

Jane Burton / Domestic Cat {Felis catus} Brown tabby cat 'Lowlander', lashing tail while watching something

Rolf Nussbaumer / Red-billed Streamertail {Trochilus polytmus} male feeding on Bleeding Heart Vine {Clerodendrum thomsoniae} Rocklands, Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Doug Perrine / Humpback whale thrashes water with tail fluke, Hawaii (taken under permit no 587)

Solvin Zankl / Seeds of Water avens (Geum rivale), Europe. Water aven seeds have numerous hairs, which enable dispersal by wind, as well as a long hooked tail formed by the style, which readily attaches to mammal fu...

Solvin Zankl / Seeds of Common storksbill (Erodium cicutarium), Europe. In dry conditions, the ripe seeds are ejected from the fruit. The seed tails are formed from the persisting style which consists of hygroscopic...

Solvin Zankl / Seed of Pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) - Europe. Seeds of the pasque flower carry a "tail", formed from the persisting style. The seeds are dispersed by wind and, additionally, can "crawl" along...

Doug Perrine / Sperm whale {Physeter macrocephalus} raising tail fluke before diving. North Atlantic.

Doug Perrine / Redtail triggerfish, female (Yellow tail) {Xanthichthys mento} Mexico, pacific

Tom Vezo / Summer tanager, female with tail frayed from nesting {Piranga rubra} Arizona, USa

Bengt Lundberg / Great Bustard displaying, Germany

Anup Shah / Olive baboon baby playing with adult's tail (Papio anubis) Masai Mara, Kenya, Africa

Peter Blackwell / Close up of African elephant skin around tail {Loxodonta africana} Amboseli NP, Kenya, East Africa

Jeff Rotman / Queen angelfish close-up of tail base {Holacanthus ciliaris} Bahamas, Caribbean

Pete Oxford / Leaf tailed gecko camouflaged on tree trunk {Uroplatus sikorae} Madagascar

Anup Shah / Juvenile male Cheetah on bonnet of vehicle looking back under tail at photographer.

Kim Taylor / Wood Ant worker curling tail ready to eject formic acid at intruder. UK, captive

ZSSD / Fantastic Leaf-tail Gecko (Uroplatus phantasticus) portrait, native to northern Madagascar

Pete Oxford / Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis schlegelii) venomous, arboreal, Esmeraldas, Ecuador

Mitsuaki Iwago / African Elephant (Loxodonta africana) calf playing with mother's tail, Masai Mara National Park, Kenya

Konrad Wothe / African Lion (Panthera leo) family of adult females and cubs on fallen tree, Serengeti, Tanzania

Rolf Nussbaumer / Rear view of Male Wild Turkey tail feathers during display {Meleagris gallopavo} Texas, USA

Carol Walker / Mustang / Wild horse filly chewing on young stallion's tail, Montana, USA. Pryor

Pete Oxford / Brown Capuchin (Cebus apella) stabilizes itself with its prehensile tail while using a heavy rock hammer to crack open palm nuts placed in small pits in the anvil rock surface, Cerrado habitat, Brazil

Pete Oxford / Brown Capuchin (Cebus apella) stabilizes itself with its prehensile tail while using a heavy rock hammer to crack open palm nuts placed in small pits in the anvil rock surface, Cerrado habitat, Brazil

Gerry Ellis / Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) portrait, Madagascar

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Desert Death Adder (Acanthophis pyrrhus) coiled in desert using tip of tail as a lure, an example of caudal luring, Australia

Konrad Wothe / Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis) kit on log with raised tail to spray, North America

Colin Monteath / Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) tail near iceberg, Antarctica

Pete Oxford / Brown Capuchin (Cebus apella) using a rock to crack open a Piassava Palm (Attalea funifera) nut, Cerrado habitat, Piaui State, Brazil

Michael & Patricia Fogden / Band-tailed Barbthroat (Threnetes ruckeri) hummingbird, male feeding and pollinating Heliconia (Heliconia pogonantha) flowers, rainforests, Costa Rica

Claus Meyer / Scorpion tail ends in a stinger that protects the young carried on back, Caatinga ecosystem, Brazil

Konrad Wothe / Brown Mouse Lemur (Microcebus rufus), Madagascar

Gerry Ellis / Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) group, Washington Park Zoo, Portland, Oregon, endemic to Madagascar

Gerry Ellis / Ring-tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) sitting on tree branch, Madagascar

Duncan Usher / Eurasian Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) portrait on moss and fungus-covered tree stump, Europe

Flip Nicklin / Sperm Whale (Physeter macrocephalus) tail, New Zealand

Michio Hoshino / Humpback Whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) tail at sunset, Alaska