Evolution of ophidian sapience and caudal tool use

What natural environmental pressures or opportunities might drive an alien ophidian species to evolve sapience and caudal tool use?

Conditions

1. The species should be lacking limbs prior to the emergence of these traits, but may develop finger-like appendages for gripping and fine manipulation.
2. The pre-existing body plan may be a result of either terrestrial or aquatic ancestry (akin to the varanid/mosasaur hypotheses), but the species must be terrestrial in the end.
3. The head/mouth should not be involved in using or manipulating tools, but the body itself may coil or fold to facilitate gripping and positioning.
4. The environmental, ecological, and planetary conditions, and other physiological details (symmetry, size, dimensions, breeding strategy, diet, social structure, and so on), are otherwise plastic.

Precedent?

Among particular species of Earth snakes there is a phenomenon called caudal luring, in which the snake displays fine motor control over the tip of its tail to roughly mimic the motions of prey animals. This activity attracts other predators upon which the snake feeds. One such species is the spider-tailed horned viper of Iran, which has evolved a fringed tail resembling the legs of a spider:

Perhaps this is an intermediate stage on the path to tool use.

Ophidian in this context is the snake-like counterpart to humanoid and does not imply either a shared ancestry, or any other similarities, with Earth snakes or the suborder Ophidia.

Caudal meaning posterior end "“ the tail.

posted about 8 years ago

rek‭

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