Posted by Range Sally (165.83.4.127) on April 11, 2002 at 15:47:23:
In Reply to: Purpose of Tail posted by Patrick O. on April 11, 2002 at 14:06:30:
: Why does a bear have a tail if it is of no use?
Thanks for your question, Patrick--do I have a "tail" for you! Author Gary Brown in his book, THE GREAT BEAR ALMANAC, reports that "bears' tails were originally large, but disappeared several million years ago as bears evolved from dog-like carnivores. Bears now have short, stubby tails, no more than "furry flaps of skin" hidden in the surrounding fur; they are the shortest relative to body size of all carnivorous animals." They function as protection for the anal region.
Adolph Murie, in THE GRIZZLIES OF MOUNT MCKINLEY, retells a legend describing the grizzly bears' loss of their tails. "the loss of his tail made his temper uncertain and he became very temperamental and sometimes dangerous. When he was angry, he had not enough tail to take up the excess energy in slow writing, as do cats and the energy then went into his legs, and he charged toward whatever annoyed him. And he had not tail enough to put between his legs and run away, like a dog!"