Herpetologists conducted a study on the vertebral structure of the whip snake, a species of snake from Iran. This snake is known for hunting birds using a lure at the end of its tail that mimics spider movements.
The study revealed that inside the body of this false spider lure are normal caudal vertebrae, with the last ones fused into a single structure. Furthermore, the lure's 'legs' lack any skeletal support; they are formed exclusively from elongated scales.
The authors of the study note that the overall internal structure of the whip snake's tail tip corresponds to that typical for snakes and only weakly reflects the unusual external appearance of this organ. The results of this work were published in the scientific journal The Anatomical Record.