flat tail
Beaver's steering rudder
A flat tail is a tail that is horizontally flattened rather than round or bushy.
Beavers have the most recognizable flat tails, which they use for swimming, balance, and slapping the water as a warning signal.
The term appears in descriptions of various animals—platypuses, certain fish, some lizards—where tail shape is a distinguishing feature.
- beaverDam-constructing aquatic rodent
- beaver damRodent-built stream blockade
- paddleFlat-bladed water tool
- rudderPivoting stern blade
- slapOpen-handed blow
water · swimming · otter · platypus · dam · lodge · aquatic · webbed · steering · broad · scaly · reptile · crocodile · warning · warning signal · splash · river · furry
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