Geckos Regrow Cartilage Tails

Geckos have bony tails with built-in weak points that let them drop the tail to escape predators. After the tail breaks off, muscles around the break quickly seal torn blood vessels while the detached tail wriggles to distract the attacker. Most geckos then regrow a replacement tail, but the new internal support forms as cartilage instead of bone. The regrown tail also comes back shorter and looks different from the original.

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