David Element's Wildlife Web Page Amphibians and Reptiles 22

David Element

Wildlife Photography

and Digital Video Images

__ Amphibians and Reptiles 22 - Common Lizards 3

COMMON LIZARD Lacerta vivipara

The second and third pictures show juvenile Common Lizards which have autotomised (shed) their tails in response to the threat from predators. Ther new growth is evident in the photographs - sometimes more than one new tail will grow in parallel if the break is not a clean one. The shed tail will continue to wriggle in order to act as a decoy to attract the attention of the attacker. This will then enable the by now somewhat shorter previous owner to escape. The bone structure of the tail is designed to break across rather than between the vertebrae to enable re-growth. Many Common Lizards have abbreviated tails, so this ploy is obviously very successful. The adult lizard in the first photograph has apparently led a charmed life as it has managed to retain an undamaged, full length tail.