By the time you see the spider-tailed horned viper, it’s probably too late. At least if you’re a bird, that is. Its mottled beige and white body isbrilliantly camouflaged against the shimmering backdrop of gypsum and limestone rocks in its natural habitat in Iran – all except for the very tip of its tail, which has evolved into an elaborate lure for unsuspecting birds.
As the name suggests, spider-tailed horned vipers have a unique growth at the tip of the tail that is covered in long thin scales resembling spider legs. They expertly wiggle this bait around to mimic the skittering movements of a spider, tricking onlooking birds into thinking they’ve found a tasty meal. But when a bird swoops in to peck at the spider, the snake is ready to strike within a fraction of a second.
However, only migratory birds seem to be fooled by the viper’s elaborate lure, suggesting local birds may have become wise to the trick.
Many snake species shake the tip of their tail before striking, and rattlesnakes famously have a rattle-like tail growth to distract prey, but the spider-tailed horned viper has really taken these ideas and run with them (well, slithered). Despitethem seeming similar to a casual observer, the viper’s spider-lure is formed from soft tissue, while rattlesnake rattles arecreated fromfused bone, so they likely evolved independently.
Read. more:
- What is a great potoo?
- What is a pink frogmouth?
- What is a Brazilian treehopper?
- What is an axolotl?
To submit your questions email us at questions@sciencefocus.com (don't forget to include your name and location)
