User:SpookyIsland/Evaluate an Article

Which article are you evaluating?
Caudal luring

Why you have chosen this article to evaluate?
I chose the "Caudal luring" article because the idea of aggressive mimicry and its role in predator-prey relationships intrigued me. Caudal luring is a critical predatory behaviour amongst juvenile snakes, such as the spider-tailed horned viper, and is a valuable form of predation for other, adult snakes and sharks. Upon reading the article, I was intrigued and interested in the role caudal luring plays in predator-prey relationships. For example, juvenile snakes will use their tails to mimic their potential victim's prey. Ideally, the victims are attracted to the caudal behaviour; then, they are subject to the predation of the snake.

Evaluate the article
The article possesses a clear and concise lead section that successfully introduces the article’s main sections; however, most of the information in the lead section and the first section, titled “mimicry,” is cited from the same source, an article from 1997. Therefore, the general definition of caudal luring and the mimicry involved may need updating or expanding. Another, more modern citation could be integrated to represent both new and old definitions and properties of mimicry. In general, the majority of the references are from the 80s and the 90s. Thus, some information may be outdated, but, on the other hand, it may still be relevant, as Tiebout (1997) provides a concise definition of caudal luring.Regarding the “mimicry” section, it is relatively underdeveloped compared to the other sections of the article. The first two sentences introduce the behaviour; however, they do not provide any valuable information regarding the mimicry involved in the caudal luring behaviour. On the bright side, the final two sentences are informative and concise. Perhaps, this section could be extended to introduce a WikiLink for mimicry and aggressive mimicry. Then, the section could home in on caudal luring in more detail; possibly, using examples and diagrams to illustrate the behaviour. The “snakes” section is well developed, concise, and informative. It provides extensive information on the caudal luring behaviour in juvenile snakes and examples of species that utilize the behaviour, such as the spider-tailed horned viper.In contrast, the “sharks” section is disproportionate and lacks information about the properties and functions of the caudal luring behaviours elicited amongst sharks. The scientific literature should be searched to elaborate on the uses of caudal luring behaviours in sharks, and diagrams could be utilized to illustrate how caudal behaviour in sharks differs from the caudal behaviour of snakes. The “other species” section should be expanded on or deleted. The claim that pelican eels elicit caudal luring behaviour is not objective nor a fact; instead, it is presented as an assumption with no supporting information. Lastly, the “evolution” section of the article is clear, concise, and informative.

In terms of tone, the article retains an overall neutral and balanced tone. This tone is represented well in the “evolution” section as it addresses multiple points of view. For example, it reads “though this has been challenged” following the introduction of an evolutionary hypothesis. However, the claim that the hypothesis has been challenged is quite vague and could potentially be expanded on to explain the challenging viewpoint.

Regarding the “references section,” all the DOI links are working correctly, and the sources represent the information cited within the article. In addition, the references are all from appropriate and credible sources. Mainly, the Journal of Herpetology, an international peer-reviewed journal that originated in 1968, is cited for the snake information. However, the article also utilizes other reliable and appropriate journals, such as the Journal of Biology and the Journal of Fish Biology. Lastly, to further develop the article, more modern articles should be integrated to represent a mix of new and old viewpoints on caudal luring behaviours.

The article only retains one image. The image is titled correctly and provides a practical example of the caudal luring behaviour in juvenile snakes. However, implementing more images and diagrams, such as caudal luring behaviour exhibited in sharks, may help illustrate the differences in species' behaviour while simultaneously making the article more visually appealing.

The article's talk page is relatively small and consists of four entries, and of the four, only two have a single reply. The posts and replies seem very friendly and have a good faith, however. Although the contributions to the talk page seem relevant and concerned with the growth of the article, it seems like the editors have abandoned the article. The article's talk page was last edited in March of 2020. Finally, the article is C-class and is of little importance; also, it is a part of three WikiProjects: animals, amphibians and reptiles, and ecology.

To conclude, the article, although substantially undeveloped, is clear, concise, and informative. The article's grammar and punctuation are appropriate, and it strongly defines the caudal luring behaviour, its evolutionary history, and its role in juvenile snakes' predation. However, the sections regarding mimicry, caudal luring behaviour in sharks, and caudal luring in other species are poorly developed and need extensive expansion. Expanding these sections and adding more photos, videos, and diagrams would make the article more cohesive, engaging, and visually appealing. Overall, the article is intriguing, but it feels incomplete and needs significant revising and expansion.