When you go for a walk, you look around, admire the scenery, look up at the sky and clouds, but sometimes it's best to look at your feet!
This little one couldn't make up its mind - go out into the sun, or hide and wait until I go away?
That walk was full of similar meetings. A wooden footbridge among the sea of grasses was the only place in the area where the little lizards could bask in the sun. If not for those strolling people, it would be perfect!
This little creature must have deal with some threat lately. You can see that it has a new tail.
The lizard's body can rebuild the tail together with the lost fragment of the spinal cord, but the vertebrae are made of cartilage instead of bones. The ability to self-amputate part of the body is called autotomy, and not only lizards have this skill! For example, some crustaceans throw off their claws to confuse the aggressor.
There is also an inconspicuous mammal with similar, extraordinary abilities! It is an African Spiny Mouse who can shed a piece of its skin like a glove. Thanks to this, it can slip out of the predator's grip.
It must look drastic - imagine what it's like to lose up to 60% of your skin! But this animal can rebuild lost tissue very quickly - twice as fast as other mice.
I would like my skin to regenerate so quickly... for example, on the face 😆
Nature is lovely and inspiring! It is perfect in every detail, where even the smallest creatures have their superpowers :)
