![]() The Tail May Help with BalanceĪnother possibility is that the pig’s tail serves as a sensor of sorts when the animal is running or maneuvering about quickly. On the other hand, pigs that don’t get much human interaction are often seen wagging or swaying their tail for other reasons when around other pigs, usually involving stress or food possessiveness. Whether this behavior is instinctive or has been learned from long domestication is unknown, and it is also possible that pigs wag their tails because they have seen dogs do it for good outcomes! Many owners have observed their pigs wagging or swishing their tails when greeting their owners, assuming of course that they are happy to see them. Some Pigs Wag Their Tails When Happy to See YouĬertainly one of the most endearing uses of a pig’s tail in communication is with humans. The higher the stress or “arousal” the more active the tail tends to be, and it also tends to scrunch up, though this might not be noticeable in pigs with naturally curly tails. It is also worth pointing out that it is easy to observe the change in the posture or position of the tail in accordance with the pig’s stress level. This is another way that pigs might avoid, or start fights when called for or signal to prospective mates. The pig can also use its tail to let other pigs or people know that it is feeling threatened. Subtle shaping or positioning of the tail can let the other pigs know how it feels about itself. The second explanation is that the pig’s tail is used to show status in the herd, believe it or not. Flies are attracted to the warmth of an animal’s body and its waste products.Ī pig’s tail provides another way for the animal to swat away these pesky insects though, compared to the longer tail of cows or the fuller tail of horses, it is pretty poor at the job. The first and most likely explanation is that the pig’s tail serves as a fly swatter of sorts. However, there are a few theories out there. It probably isn’t the answer you were looking for, but even to this very day, scientists aren’t quite sure what purpose a pig’s tail definitively serves. The Purpose of a Pig’s Tail is Debated Today If you don’t watch it for these subtle signs you might think that a pig’s tail is truly useless, nothing more than a little curly ornament on its back side.īut there is more going on with a pig’s tail than you might think, as they may even be far more important in the hierarchy of a herd than we realize. ![]() So why do pigs have tails anyway?Ī pig’s tail serves a variety of purposes, from shooing away flies to communication with other pigs and even people. Some animals rely on their tails for balance, others rely on it for locomotion.įor some animals, the tail is a vestigial leftover of their development, whereas in other animals it is primarily used for communication.īut then we come to the curious case of the pig, which by all accounts seems to have a tale that serves truly no particular purpose. Send us feedback about these examples.Animals have all kinds of tails serving a variety of purposes depending on the environment. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pigtail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 29 June 2023 See More Shoshana Walter, New York Times, 29 June 2023 The singer kicked off her Instagram carousel with a braided pigtail look, with her hair twirled into two separate braids by two black ribbons and tendrils of hair curled in spirals framing her face. Henry Chandonnet, Peoplemag, 13 July 2023 Soon her hair was long enough to pull into pigtails. ![]() ![]() Tim Greiving, Washington Post, 20 July 2023 The young girls sport matching bright paisley dresses, with MJ’s hair up in pigtails. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 21 July 2023 An unnamed woman in pigtails roller-skated around the crowd, careful not to crash into the woman in a blue Teamsters jumpsuit walking a small pup. Brian Murphy,, 27 July 2023 Styled by Gomez herself, each of the looks gives a glimpse at the different sides to her flair, from the skater girl vibe of the baggy ‘fit to her edgy interpretation of Wednesday Addams-core - complete with spikes in her pigtails. Blair set the foundations for Val's character with a contrast of homespun perkiness - pigtails and doe eyes - and unvarnished big-city ambitions. Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 July 2023 Enter Email Sign Up Ms. Marci Robin, Allure, 24 July 2023 Yet there were also dreadlocks and lipstick and pigtails. Recent Examples on the Web In just the last week alone, she's been seen wearing a platinum lob and super-long, super-straight, black pigtails with braided bases, blunt bangs, an braided tendrils framing her face. ![]()
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