David Element
Wildlife
Photography and Digital Video Images
____________________________________________
Reptiles 11 - Common Lizards
COMMON LIZARD Zootoca vivipara
COMMON LIZARD Zootoca vivipara
COMMON LIZARD Zootoca vivipara
- The second and third pictures show juvenile Common Lizards Zootoca
vivipara which have autotomised (shed) their tails in response to the
threat from predators. Their 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.
- With thanks to
Maurice Drake of Wellset
Repro
Ltd.:
info@flipsideweb.co.uk
for providing the scanned images.
·
David’s films of British reptiles and amphibians may be seen at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4AirIEc0Nodlcvlf7oYAJgJo8k7pHJ-A.
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