| Whatever a particular animal's use for the tail, prehensile tails are only found in arboreal species, and are sometimes considered the epitome of arboreal adaptation. Ground-dwelling Bothrops vipers are not prehensile, while those Bothrops species which inhabit trees do make use of prehensile tails. Terrestrial anteaters lack prehensile tails, yet the arboreal silky anteater uses its prehensile tail for support along with its hind feet, and can keep its forelimbs available for foraging. |
| Porcupines are one species not generally thought of as arboreal, as those which inhabit the temperate zone are terrestrial. But the tropical American porcupines spend much of their time in trees. The prehensile-tailed porcupine is one of the most arboreal of all, foraging for seeds at the very tips of branches. | This is one case where the evolution of the prehensile tail may have a slight drawback. This porcupine's tail is un-protected, compared to that of its temperate counterpart which is well armed with quills. The tropical porcupine has evolved into a much more agile and acrobatic animal, but is not as well defended as the temperate species. |
| An alternative to the prehensile tail is another arboreal adaptation: gliding. Gliding mammals generally have flaps of skin stretching between their front and back legs, which they can spread to make "wings". They move through the forest by climbing fairly high and sailing to another tree, then climbing and sailing again. |
| Some lizards have ribs that are actually extended from the sides of the body and joined with a flap of skin to form "wings" that function similarly to those of the gliding mammals. However, instead of having "wings", most reptiles flatten out their bodies and leap through the trees. Frogs, lizards, and some snakes use this behavior to escape predators. |
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