User:Aennis15/Caudal luring
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Caudal luring is a form of aggressive mimicry in which a predator uses tail movements to attract prey animals[1][1]. The prey animal misinterprets the tail as a worm-like species or another smaller prey. Once the prey animal is within striking range, the predator attacks. Snakes, more often juvenile snakes[2], and some types of shark[3] are the main species that practice caudal luring.
The mimicry was initially interpreted as a warning sign which the species displayed under stressful circumstances. The study of the tail movements suggested that the caudal luring behavior evolved from tail vibration[4]. Researchers have also used different experiential paradigm for caudal luring to investigate stimulus control and visual deception in snakes[5][6].