Prehensility
Prehensility is the quality of an appendage or organ that has adapted for grasping or holding. The word is derived from the Latin term prehendere, meaning "to grasp."
Examples
Appendages that can become prehensile include:
Prehensile feet:
- The feet of primates are all prehensile to varying degrees
- The claws of cats are also prehensile
The feet of primates are all prehensile to varying degrees
The claws of cats are also prehensile
Prehensile tails – Many extant lizards have prehensile tails (geckos, chameleons, and a species of skink). Seahorses grip seaweed with their tails. Several fossil animals have been interpreted as having prehensile tails, including several Late Triassic drepanosaurs, and possibly the Late Permian synapsid Suminia.
Tongue – of giraffes in particular
Nose – elephants, tapirs
Lips – lake sturgeon, orangutans, horses and rhinos
Cephalopod arm – arms such as those of octopuses
Upper lip, such as that of the Florida manatee
Penises, such as that of the Tapir or Dolphin.
