It bites its own tail to transform into a brutal spiked wheel – one of nature’s strangest defences

It’s a brave beast that bites this tail. The spiky appendage belongs to an armadillo girdled lizard, as does the mouth that’s biting it.

The reptile is the sole member of the genus Ouroborus, named after the mythical serpent that ate its own tail – a symbol of continuity, eternity, rebirth and cycles of life.

Why do they bite their tails?

For this creature, though, the behaviour is more about self-preservation, exposing attackers to its impenetrable spines while protecting its vulnerable underparts.

The species is unusually sociable, living in groups of up to 30 in rocky crevices in South African deserts, and bears very large, live young – usually just one – that are fed by the parents.