This snake grows a fake spider on its tail to lure birds

The natural world is full of animals that use mimicry to survive, but few examples are as unusual as the spider-tailed horned viper. Native to Iran, this elusive snake has evolved a remarkable tail tip that resembles a spider, complete with a bulbous body and dangling, leg-like structures. The snake moves the strange appendage in a way that can attract birds close enough for it to strike. What looks like an elaborate spider from the outside, however, hides a much more ordinary structure inside. According to the Field Museum, scientists have now used X-ray computed tomography, or XCT, to examine the interior of the snake's unusual tail without damaging a scientifically important museum specimen.