That’s because a tail is actually an extension of a backbone. (Humans used to have tails! Our early ancestors did but then we changed over time and now only a little stump of a “tailbone” remains.)

Dogs, elephants, cats, birds, monkeys and fish – they all have tails and use them for many different things like balancing, swishing flies away or hanging onto things. And what do all these animals have in common? A backbone!

Let’s start by thinking about animals that do have tails and what they have in common.

So to answer your question, ladybirds do not have tails because they do not have a backbone.

The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions they'd like an expert to answer. Lotte wants to know why ladybirds don’t have tails. An expert in ladybirds explains.