Caudal luring is a hunting behaviour in which a snake uses its tail as bait. Death adders are among its clearest practitioners: the terminal segment of the tail is narrow, often differently coloured from the body, and is moved in a slow undulating twitch that resembles an insect larva or worm.
The rest of the animal is committed to stillness. Death adders bury themselves in litter or sand with the head aligned toward the lure and may wait in one spot for days or weeks. That patience is why they are dangerous underfoot: unlike most Australian elapids, which flee, a death adder holds position.
The species is a striking case of convergence, having evolved a viper's stout body, broad head and ambush strategy while remaining a member of the cobra family. Populations have declined in parts of Australia, and cane toads are widely blamed, though the strength of that link varies between regions and is not equally supported everywhere.