July 31, 2014 at 4:44 pm

Picture of the Day: Fluffiest Tail Ever

by twistedsifter

squirrel with bushiest tail

Photograph by Rona Dennis

 

Seen here is the rare and elusive tufted ground squirrel (Rheithrosciurus macrotis). Scientist Erik Meijaard along with his wife Rona Dennis and daughter Emily Mae Meijaard, analyzed a series photos taken with motion-controlled cameras to deduce that the 35-centimeter-long rodent has the bushiest/fluffiest tail of any mammal compared to its body size.

According to their measurements, the tufted ground squirrel’s tail is 30% larger than the volume of its body. You can find the complete paper published in TAPROBANICA: The Journal of Asian Biodiversity.

 

 

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