Why do mice have tails? The answer to this is not as simple as you might think. New research from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) has shown that there’s more to the humble ...

Just what that function might be wasn’t immediately apparent, however, due to yet another peculiar attribute of spiny mice: Their tails are uncharacteristically detachable.

The team scanned the tails of newborn spiny mice up to those that were 6 weeks old. Bony plates form first near the base of the tail and then as the mouse ages, grow down the tail to its tip.

Imagine losing a limb and growing it back like nothing ever happened. Sounds like science fiction? Not for many animals in the natural world! While humans are capable of healing cuts and fractures, ...

CT scans revealed a layer of bony scales, or osteoderms, hidden beneath the skin of the tails in spiny mice. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here ...

Researchers just discovered that the spiny mouse was concealing bony plates beneath the skin over its tail. By Asher Elbein At first it looks like a slightly more hairy rodent. But the spiny mouse ...