Heads You Lose, Tails You Win:Notes on a Tail-assisted Foraging Behavior inVaranus (Odatria) kingorum

摘要

This article describes a tail-assisted foraging behavior in Varanus kingorum, a small rockdwellingvaranid from Australia. Numerous captive specimens were observed skillfully using theirtails to extract prey from tight crevices which were otherwise unreachable by the lizards. This behaviorwas displayed by individuals of both sexes and all age groups, and it is therefore hypothesized that itis, at least to some extent, genetically fixed.