Tail Breaks

The majority of lizards can whether voluntarily or involuntarily break off a portion of their tail and survive. When a lizard feels threatened it will occasionally drop the bottom portion of its tail in an attempt to distract the predator. Once the tail is detached from the body it will wiggle on the ground for a few minutes which allows the lizard a chance for escape. If the lizard is being handled roughly it is possible that the tail will break by accident.

The amount of blood that is lost and the danger to the lizards health that this poses depends on how close to the body the tail is dropped. If the break occurs in the bottom 1/2 to 2/3 of the tail there should be minimal blood lose. If it is any higher then veterinarian attention may be needed.

Some of these lizards are able to regrow the lost portion of the tail although it generally does not appear by same in both color and shape/size.