Some types of small lizard often deliberately lose their tail when attacked by a predator. This is a defence mechanism, because the predator usually seizes the lizard by the tail as it tries to escape. The lizard’s tail may continue to wriggle for a while after coming free, distracting the predator while the lizard escapes. The stump of the tail is quickly sealed over by special muscles that stop the bleeding. A new tail is gradually grown to replace the one that was lost.
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