WHY DOES A LIZARD'S TAIL JUMP WHEN CUT OFF ACCIDENTALLY?
When choosing between life and limb, many animals willingly sacrifice the limb. Certain animals voluntarily shed a body part in response to attempted predation. Lizards' losing their tail when they fall prey to a predator is well known.
Many species of lizards practice this self-amputation called autotomy, which is reflex separation of a part from the body (that divides into two or more pieces). The lizard whose tail is caught by a predator is distracted by the still-moving tail.
Not all lizards can do that! The lizards that can do it are typically small ones with no other methods of defence. Many lizards are even capable of regenerating the lost nails.
Why are lizard's tails very easy to detach? It's a defense mechanism, they fully control the things that happen in their tail, like detaching it and regrowing it later, to act as a decoy when a predator threatens their lives. While the predator is busy looking at the acrobatic tail, the lizard merrily runs away from harm.
The severed tail continues to wiggle for about 30 minutes. Studies have shown that the severed tail follows an elaborate repetitive and diverse motion, which includes flips up to 3cm in height.
If, by chance, you see a lizard please try not to frighten it too much. It might drop its tail just for your entertainment. If it does drop it, do not remove its tail away. Observe the lizard, which will return and probably eat its tail so that it gains more energy from the fat the tail has, making tail-regeneration faster.
