This is for a book I’m writing where mermaids and sirens are more of a natural plausible predators instead of magic, so i more want to know the movement of a animal having a certain tail aswell as the possibility of a mammal having it.
In: Biology
Think of a tail like a rudder on a boat. It helps steer you in the right direction! Animals with horizontal tails (like fish) use them to move side-to-side, darting through coral reefs or chasing schools of smaller fish. The tail helps them change direction quickly and makes them super agile.
On the other hand, animals with vertical tails (like sharks) use theirs more like a big propeller. They swing it back and forth to push themselves forward, kind of like how a surfer uses their board to catch waves.
Having a horizontal or vertical tail also affects how well an animal can maneuver in different environments. For example, fish with horizontal tails are great at navigating through tight spaces, while sharks with vertical tails might be better suited for open ocean swimming.
As for mammals having these types of tails… it’s definitely possible! Some animals, like the platypus and echidna, have a kind of “duck-billed” tail that helps them swim. But if we’re talking about mermaids or sirens being natural predators, they might evolve to develop more fish-like features, including a horizontal or vertical tail!
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