How many times could a lizard regrow its tail?

How many times could a lizard regrow its tail?

Some lizards boast the amazing skill of detaching and regrowing their tails to escape predators. John Baker explores whether they can do this multiple times


Some lizards posses the amazing ability to regenerate appendages, helping them escape from predators.

When the gecko or amphibious salamander, for example, lose a tail, special stem cells profilerate and migrate to the tail area. This means that when it regrows it, the spinal cord and nerves grow back too.

How many times could a lizard regrow its tail?

How many times a lizard can regrow its tail depends. The series of bones that makes up a lizard’s spine extends along the length of its tail. When the tail is shed, it breaks along a fracture plane within one of the bones. When a new tail grows, the bones do not regenerate, but are replaced with cartilage. So the re-grown tail cannot break and regrow again.

The detached tail of a common house gecko
The detached tail of a common house gecko. Getty Images

A lizard could potentially shed its tail several times, but only the original tail material is capable of fracture and regeneration.

Discover more lizard facts

Main image: Getty Images

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