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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Why an elephant’s tail is a feeble fly-swatter

Tails serve as effective non-lethal weapons against pests.
An elephant swinging its tail

An elephant’s pendulum-like tail swings fast enough to create an airy barrier to biting insects. Credit: Marguerite Matherne and David Hu

A mammal’s waving tail forms a curtain of air that can discourage most mosquitoes from landing — and blows the pests away.

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Nature 562, 463 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-07069-7

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