What happens to the tail of gecko once it falls off?

You might be surprised by a tail drop if you try to grab your gecko by the tail or hold it too tightly when it’s trying to escape. The detached tail will wiggle and twitch on the ground as though it were still connected to the gecko’s body. While this can be shocking, it’s important not to panic.

Losing a particular body part is a defense mechanism called autotomy that many animals use. Gecko tails are specifically designed to drop: Inside the tail is special connective tissue that creates a location where it can readily break off when needed. When this happens, the blood vessels to the tail constrict and very little blood loss occurs. This is helpful to remember if you’re trying to determine whether your gecko dropped its tail or lost it due to trauma; very little blood is lost when the tail is dropped.

Eventually, a gecko regrows its tail but it may not look exactly the same. The new tail is often shorter, colored differently, and blunter at the end than the original tail.

In the wild, a gecko’s tail loss serves a very good purpose. The tail’s movement distracts potential predators and allows the gecko to get away, leaving the predator with nothing but the wiggling tail.

In comparison, geckos are relatively safe in captivity. It’s possible, however, for geckos in a group to bully one individual, which could trigger the defense mechanism. If you have more than one gecko in an enclosure, it’s a good idea to separate the potential victim from the others before it loses its tail.

Credit : The Spruce Pets

Picture Credit : Google

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *