In the course of evolution, some animals have developed body parts that are disproportionately long compared to the rest of their body. These extreme extensions are often the result of sexual selection, adaptations to a specific diet, or unique ways of survival. From necks to noses and tails, here are 10 animals with remarkably long attributes.
1. The giraffe: The longest neck
The giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) is the most obvious example. Its iconic, extremely long neck (which, despite its length, has only seven cervical vertebrae, just like humans) allows it to eat leaves from tall trees inaccessible to other herbivores (competitive advantage).
The long neck is also used by males in fights for dominance (‘necking’), where they use their necks as striking weapons. However, maintaining such a long neck also requires adaptations, such as an extremely powerful heart to pump blood to the brain.
2. Elephant shrews: An extremely long, flexible nose
Elephant shrews, or sengis (order Macroscelidea), are small, insectivorous mammals from Africa that, despite their name, are not closely related to shrews (surprisingly, they are more related to elephants!). Their most striking feature is their long, flexible, trunk-like nose.
They use this constantly moving ‘trunk’ to probe the forest floor and sniff out insects, spiders, and worms, which they then pick up with their tongue. The long nose allows them to detect food without moving their head, keeping them alert to danger.
3. The platypus: A long, sensitive ‘bill’ (snout)
The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) from Australia is bizarre enough, but its long, flat, leathery ‘bill’ is also an extreme body part. It’s not a true bill like a bird’s, but a highly sensitive snout covered with thousands of electroreceptors and mechanoreceptors.
This allows the platypus to detect the weak electrical signals and movements of its prey (like insect larvae, worms, and shrimp) hidden in the muddy bottom underwater, with its eyes and ears closed.
4. The long-eared flying mouse: An extremely long tail
Although many animals have long tails for balance, the tail of the long-eared flying mouse (Idiurus macrotis), a type of African scaly-tailed squirrel (not related to true squirrels), is extremely long relative to its body. The tail can be one and a half times its head-body length.
This long, thin tail, with a tuft at the end, likely functions as an important rudder and stabilizer during its long glides between trees.
5. The sable antelope: Extremely long, curved horns
The sable antelope (Hippotragus niger) from Southern Africa gets its name from the impressive, backward-curving horns worn by both males and females. In adult males, these horns can become extremely long, sometimes measuring 1.5 meters (5 feet) along the curve!
These scimitar-shaped horns are used in fights between males and as highly effective defensive weapons against predators like lions. They can deliver dangerous thrusts.
6. The horseshoe crab: A long, sword-shaped tail spine (telson)
Horseshoe crabs (order Xiphosura) are ancient ‘living fossils’ more closely related to spiders than crabs. Their most notable feature at the rear is the long, hard, pointed tail spine, called the telson.
This telson is not a weapon but is primarily used as a lever to right itself if accidentally flipped onto its back. It is an essential tool for this bottom-dweller.
7. The narwhal: An extremely long ‘tusk’ (horn)
The narwhal (Monodon monoceros), the ‘unicorn of the sea’, is known for the extremely long, spiraled ‘tusk’ that grows from the upper jaw in males (and rarely in females). This ‘horn’ can reach up to 3 meters (10 feet) long and is actually a heavily modified left canine tooth.
Its exact function is still debated, but it is thought to play a role in sexual selection (impressing females or competing with males) and possibly as a sensory organ to detect changes in water temperature, pressure, and salinity.
8. The giant anteater: An extremely long, tube-like snout
The giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) from South America has a highly specialized diet of ants and termites. To eat them, it has developed an extremely long, tubular snout.
At the end of this snout is a small mouth opening from which an even longer (up to 60 cm or 24 inches!), sticky tongue darts out rapidly to lick up insects from their nests. The long snout allows it to reach deep into termite mounds or ant nests.
9. The shaft-tailed whydah: Extremely long tail feathers in males
The males of the shaft-tailed whydah (Vidua regia), a small African bird, develop two extremely long central tail feathers during the breeding season. These ornamental feathers can be three to four times as long as the bird itself!
This disproportionate tail serves purely for display; the males show it off during courtship flights to impress females. It’s a clear example of sexual selection leading to an extreme trait.
10. The Japanese spider crab: Extremely long legs
The Japanese spider crab (Macrocheira kaempferi) is the largest arthropod in the world, not so much in body size, but due to its extremely long legs. Its leg span can reach up to 3.7 meters (12 feet)!
This deep-sea crab lives on the floor of the Pacific Ocean around Japan. Its long legs enable it to move efficiently across the seabed, cover large areas searching for food (carrion, shellfish), and possibly help in detecting prey or danger.
Extreme but Functional
These examples show that extreme body proportions in nature rarely arise without reason. Whether for reaching food, attracting a mate, engaging in combat, or sensing the environment, these disproportionately long body parts are often ingenious evolutionary solutions to the specific challenges these animals face.
