Prehensility is the quality of an organ that has adapted for grasping or holding. Examples of prehensile body parts include the tails of New World monkeys and opossums, the trunks of elephants, the tongues of giraffes, and the proboscides of tapir. The hands of primates are all prehensile to varying degrees, and many species (though not humans) have prehensile feet as well.

The word is derived from the Latin term prehendere, meaning "to grasp."

See also

• Prehensile tail

Tenpovo | Préhension

Biology