Why do mice have such long tails?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific concepts Why do mice have such long tails? Several wood mice live in the dry stone wall a couple of metres from my back door. Most of them have tails that are longer than

Notes and queriesAnimals

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific concepts

Why do mice have such long tails? Several wood mice live in the dry stone wall a couple of metres from my back door. Most of them have tails that are longer than their bodies. Occasionally one has a tail only about half as long, which I suspect has been shortened accidentally. However, this doesn’t seem to affect either the behaviour or agility of the mouse.

Roy Lee-Faulkner, Stalybridge

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