The sickle tail is the single phenotypic characteristic that seems to separate dogs from wolves. Dogs who have tails tend to have an upward curve in the tail, which is called the sickle tail. Wolves' tails, on the other hand, hang straight; this is called the brush tail—similar to that of a fox.
Famous quotes containing the word tail:
“Dizzily down the abyss he wheels—
So fell Darius. Upon his crown,
In the midst of the barn-yard he came down,
In a wonderful whirl of tangled strings,
Broken braces and broken springs,
Broken tail and broken wings,”
—John Townsend Trowbridge (1827–1916)