Lizard Tails.

Is it just me, or are wiggling detached lizard tails kind of creepy? There’s just something unnatural about a tail (without a body) flipping around on the ground. It is highly engaging to my cat, Athena, however, who has discovered that lizards love the rocky area in our back yard. I think she’s caught about 20 in the last two weeks, mostly so she can play with them.

I looked into this odd phenomenon of tails snapping off and wiggling and discovered that it’s an adaptation. Many lizards’ tails are not well connected to their bodies, enabling them to actually shake them off and run from a predator who’s caught them by the tail. It’s an especially useful technique for young lizards, who happen to have especially attractive tails (especially if you’re one of their predators). Visit the Audobon society’s Web page for more precise information http://www.corkscrew.audubon.org/wildlife/lizards.html Scroll all the way to the bottom to read about lizard tails.