WHY DO LIZARDS LOSE THEIR TAILS??

Have you ever seen a gecko without a tail and wondered why they do that? Lizards and other amphibians have the ability to regenerate their tails, which means that they will grow a new one.

Lizards can lose their tails at-will and are able to grow new ones through limb regeneration. But why do geckos lose their tails?  We will explore the reasons behind this method of self-defense.

Why Do Lizards' Tails Fall Off?

Much like octopi and starfish, lizards have evolved over time in order to use their limb regeneration for self-defense. When attacked by a predator, lizards sometimes detach their tail to distract a predator. After the tail falls off, it will continue to wiggle. If the lizard is lucky, the predator will not be able to differentiate between the lizard and its wiggling tail.

Since the lizard quickly scurries away, the predator is more likely going to move their attention toward the tail, which is staying in one place, yet appears to be alive.

Lizards have evolved to be able to detach their tails at-will, yet, they sometimes do not fully separate. Sometimes, the lizards are not so lucky, and they must live with a partially detached tail while the cells around it begin to regenerate.