Why do RTB's have red tails?

[smellati]

Out of curiousity, why do they have red tails? Camouflage? Breeding purpose? Competition? Warning colors?

I mean, there has to be a reason for it. And don't tell me that, that is just how they are, cause that is not true.

[buck2003]

I know that when threatened they often wag/twitch/flick thier tails. Floppy did it once when he saw the cat looking into his viv. Puffed himself up like a balloon aswell to make himself look bigger and was flicking his tail about. So IMO the red is a sign to potential preditors DANGER! I wouldn't be surprised if its also used to attract a female as well and camouflage too. I think you answered your own question to be honest, just not sure about the competition bit? BUCK

	In My Opinon IMO = In My Opinion and IMHO = In My Honest Opinion

[rachel132002]

I THINK they also use it for luring in the jungle sometimes, having a lot of themselves under leaf litter and wiggling the tail like a worm and bird comes down like oooo dinner and ends up as dinner?

Rach

[knight45]

i doubt breeding because females look jst as nice athe males....by the way what does IMO mean?

	In My Opinon IMO = In My Opinion and IMHO = In My Honest Opinion

[buck2003]

IMO = In my opinion!

[TheOtherAndy]

Originally Posted by knight45

i doubt breeding because females look jst as nice athe males....by the way what does IMO mean?

Nice catch, knight45. If it had anything to do with reproductive competition, we wouldn't have to probe snakes to sex them. Selection would favor males with more and more extreme examples of this trait until they looked noticably different from females.

I don't think this question has an answer =), but my own best guess is that it either has something to do with caudal luring, or used to earlier in the snakes lineage and is simply a holdover trait.

	In My Opinon IMO = In My Opinion and IMHO = In My Honest Opinion

[xxxjustinxxx]

thats what i think > in the wild they use it to lure prey in close and then BAM! they got their meal, but honestly i dont really know, i've never really thought about it ?

[Tom]

They use there tail for courtship and as a lure for food.
Here are some short videos of some Guyana's using there tails.
These are old videos so sorry about the quality of them but you get the general idea.

courtship

lure

Take care
Tom

[boafan77]

That is odd because I see my Guyana doing the same thing from time to time and have been wondering I wonder if she does it because she is hungry.

[smellati]

hmm, from the videos it seems they do it for luring.
Does their diet reflect in their tail? Reason I ask, is that maybe it can be used to show possible mates how healthy and well fed you are, which would be more attractive, or maybe that you are just ready to breed. Just something I thought of right now.
However it seems it's at least for luring prey.

[louise]

cause the dont have blue ones. then the would be called blue tail boas. lmao