Re: Not dinosaurs

[JCMcL <darwincr@laplaza.taos.nm.us>]

On Wed, 24 Jan 1996, Nicholas R. Longrich wrote:

>       I know this has nothing to do with dinosaurs, but it's really 
> annoying me and I was wondering if anybody knew. Why do some rats have 
> hairless tails? The only thing I could guess at is that they might have 
> had ancestors that used the thing like a cuscus or opossum does, as a 
> prehensile climbing device (I know some rats are handy climbers) but that 
> doesn't seem to make a lot of sense... Just wondering.
>       thanks,
> 
> -Nick L.
> 
Some have said that these hairless tails may assist in temperature 
regulation in hot regions, by serving as radiators of excess heat (I've 
often felt this might account in part for length of sauropod tails), but 
in small mammals like rats I would think that heat conservation would be 
a more important consideration except in the hottest regions.  

Rats do use tails as balancers and wrap them about ropes when 
"tightroping" onto ships over hawsers, etc., but not as nicely as 
opossums.  

Mice likewise.  But a mouse can't support itself on its tail.  

Interesting question.  

Hmmm. 

JCMcL