Problems with Tails. Those animal that use their tails for swimming or defense,such as the beaver, muskrat or porcupine, are provided with a great deal of connective tissue that attaches the tail skim to the vertebral column along its entire length. Treat these animals as follows; Split the tail skin along its ventral surface from base to tip and carefully separate the connective tissue by means of a scalpel. When the time arrives, make an artificial tail out of a piece of straight-grained wood.The artificial tail must be as long as the ture tail plus one-third of the body length. Add Additional