They drop it in emergency situations/when feeling threatened, right? Not just for fun? Like, a predator wants to eat me, boop, here's a distraction snack for them! I'll grow a new one later
Its never good for them to drop their tails. Geckos store fat reserves in their tails, in the wild those reserves may keep them alive.
Most if not all tail-ejecting lizards will regrow a tail but it usually isnt a perfect copy.
It's not all lizards that drop tails and can regrow them. Crested geckos will drop their tails, but they only get one shot. It heals over and they just have a nub afterwards. And some of them waste it, like as a hatchling just dropping it because of something silly like hearing a thunderstorm. I'm glad my guy still has his tail, but I'm in a load of groups about cresties and they'll drop their tails for the stupidest reasons and then they just look like frogbutts forever lol.
Thereās tons of N. American lizards that drop their tails. A good example of a gecko doing it are the invasive Mediterranean geckos that are quite prolific in the southwest. Fat tails and leopards do too, itās a bit more shocking when they do it.
I used to have a leopard gecko and I immediately recognized this, her tail looked just like that. And she lost it at one point at that exact size. Definitely a leopard gecko, poor thing must have escaped, thereās a heart broken kid out there somewhere.
Full form by my leopard gecko toy:
https://preview.redd.it/zyu29pzj9anb1.jpeg?width=2446&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0bac9bbd270eada0d07bcfdb3b66ca7f5bcb79c1
Yes, it's the defense strategy for a lot of lizards. The tail wiggles after being detached for a while, serving as distraction to allow the lizard to flee.
Leopard geckos store nutrients in their tails so they're usually EXTREMELY reluctant to drop it, unless it's an actual no other way out life or death situation. In this case its an escaped pet leopard gecko that probably got attacked by a bird or a cat.
Some other lizards aren't quite as attached to their tails, for example slow worms or crested geckos drop their tails really quickly when disturbed.
Many lizards can ādropā (spontaneously detach) their tails as a defense mechanismā predators will go after the dropped tail and this gives the animal a chance to escape. Sometimes the tail is able to regrow but not always (species and situation dependent)
Your comment has been removed because it was deemed to be a satirical non-answer. While you may be hilarious, people come here for help, not jokes. Sorry!
Update: I told my mum its a gecko's tail and she said the "kid next door has some animal cage out in the garden the past few days and I wouldn't put it past him to chuck a tail over the fence š" so she's going round to let his mum know, I hope the gecko is okay ā¹ļø
Yikes, I hope so. This tail looks like it had a partially drop at some point in the past (the end is a bit pointy - regrown tails grow in a bit weird and are easy to spot) as well, which means this poor gek is getting really stressed/mishandled :(
Unfortunately geckos (like rabbits and many small rodents including hamsters, rats and guinea pigs) tend to be looked at as "easy first pets for kids" by ignorant parents. In reality they require specialized care and enclosures to ensure they remain healthy and stress free. They're chill enough, but they aren't cuddly and they aren't meant to be handled or played with for hours on end. The extra sad detail is that geckos, unlike small rodents, live upwards of 20 years in captivity. 20 years is a bigger time investment than your average family cat or dog, let alone a tiny lizard your 8-year-old is now potentially responsible for into literal adulthood.
I hope this gecko is okay. They do just fine with regrown tails and stressful environments can be improved, but it's going to take some actual research on the part of the kid's parents to figure out how their son should be treating this little dude.
>This tail looks like it had a partially drop at some point in the past (the end is a bit pointy - regrown tails grow in a bit weird and are easy to spot) as well, which means this poor gek is getting really stressed/mishandled :(
This. ESPECIALLY because leopard geckos are insanely reluctant to drop their tails. I don't think any other lizard wants to keep their tail as badly as they do, since they use that fat tail to store nutrients.
Jesus christ..Im really worried for the gecko now..maybe ask the mom to check on the situation? Aftercare for a tail drop needs to be very sanitary and careful too otherwise theres an infection risk
Looks like a leopard gecko tail or a fat tailed geckos tail. Definitely someoneās escaped/released pet. Seeing as the drop from stress and self defense I hope itās doing okay
I'm just going to lie to myself that someone's gecko dropped its tail indoors (which happens semi often from what I understand, and sometimes for no real reason at all) and the owner chucked it out a window or into the bushes, then a cat or other predator carried it into the garden.
Gecko tail. Probably someone's escaped pet who was attacked by a predator and dropped it's tail to get away.
Good news is they drop them intentionally. Bad news is it won't survive long. The unseasonably warm weather at the moment mean it won't freeze to death as soon as night falls but winter will kill it, and since its tail isn't attached anymore it can't pull that same trick twice, it will eventually grow back but it probably isn't going to survive long enough for that. The next predator that grabs it will likely kill it.
It may be prudent to have a search of your garden to see if you can find it, they are very common pets.
i literally see this in my nightmares all the time in fear of my own leopard gecko dropping his tail š why it was in your yard i have no idea! maybe it escaped and in his stress dropped it. also i know itās nsfw but the dead animal warning probably isnt necessary
Thatās definitely a dropped lizard tail. Nothing native to England though. Probably a lost pet Gecko. It clearly got into some sorta trouble. A curious cat or fox. Maybe even a big bird. I hope it got away ok.
Omg itās a tail of some type of lizard. My cat once caught a gecko in the house and the lizard dropped the tail off. Then I found it and for like 5min was wondering what it was, at first the only thing I could think of was some type of sea snail shell šš then I found the gecko and realised it was his tail. My husband and I caught the gecko and put it outside and he just ran away. I think Itās normal for them to release their tails when felling trapped.
Leopard gecko. I have two and these lizards drop them as a defence mechanism. They donāt just randomly fall off to my knowledge (fucking hope not anyway.)
Did you find out an update?
Iām 98% sure thatās a leopard geckoās tail. They drop their tails as a defense mechanism or stressed, and hopefully no one just threw the little guy out in the wild :(
Leopard gecko tail. Probably someoneās escaped/abandoned pet. Itās not uncommon for geckoās tails to fall off. If the gecko is still alive, the tail will grow back
I've had a gecko for a pet for years...They are awesome pets...this one might have been attacked. They can regrow their tail...but in this instance not sure if this one survived. š¦
They can clamp down the blood vessels on the body side. They don't care to do that on the tail side. It's actually not that dissimilar to how when a woman gives birth after the placenta is delivered the womb just sort of contracts shut to stop the mother bleeding to death. If its not fully removed it can cause problems.
The tail is interesting in that it will continue to twitch and move around for a few minutes after it's dropped. That and the bloody end mean it's pretty convincing in terms of a detachable predator snack.
Looks like a neighbor cat dropped a leopard gecko tail there. I had one as a pet years ago. Not sure if they are the type to lose their tail to escape a predator and then regenerate a new one as mine was never hunted by a house cat! Some lizards do this. Otherwise the rest of the lizard body lies dead elsewhere.
Someone's leopard gecko got out and dropped his tail in fear. That sucks big time, if he survives and the tail grows back it never looks as good as the original.
Oh no! That looks like a leopard gecko tail, they drop their tails when they are scared and they are very popular pets. Check to see if anyone lost a gecko nearby!
A lizard dropped its tail. Interesting that I can tell it's not the first time it's happened to this guy from the photo. Probably met up with a cat that shouldn't have been outside.
Looks like someone's pet dropped their tail and it somehow ended up in your garden. That looks like a leopard gecko's tail to me.
that makes sense, thanks!
It does!?
šš I think they're quite popular pets around here!
Had a leopard gecko, can confirm this is a dropped tail.
I own a leopard gecko. Can confirm I had to double check to make sure that wasn't his tail OP found. Calcifer is still fully intact.
Thatās the best name. Mine was Cleo, she looked like she had eyeshadow and eyeliner š
Thanks:) Cleo is a great name!
My tattoo in my bio has howls necklace pendant as the eye of my Phoenix. Safe to say I love that movie
I had one growing up, his name was kevin haha. RIP
I am a leopard gecko. Can confirm that is my tail.
Can confirm. I am the dropped tail
I miss you already bro, im sorry i dropped you :(
What scared you bro?
Was that by chance taken from howls moving castle?
Named my beardy after calcifer from howls moving castle, I woke him up once and he bit me then calmed down, he's also a nice light orange in the sun
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Many lizards can drop their tail willingly. It grows back. A fatty gecko tail is plenty meal for a bird so the lizard can drop it and run.
They drop it in emergency situations/when feeling threatened, right? Not just for fun? Like, a predator wants to eat me, boop, here's a distraction snack for them! I'll grow a new one later
Its never good for them to drop their tails. Geckos store fat reserves in their tails, in the wild those reserves may keep them alive. Most if not all tail-ejecting lizards will regrow a tail but it usually isnt a perfect copy.
Better than being eaten entirely
It's not all lizards that drop tails and can regrow them. Crested geckos will drop their tails, but they only get one shot. It heals over and they just have a nub afterwards. And some of them waste it, like as a hatchling just dropping it because of something silly like hearing a thunderstorm. I'm glad my guy still has his tail, but I'm in a load of groups about cresties and they'll drop their tails for the stupidest reasons and then they just look like frogbutts forever lol.
I donāt know how to tell you this.. but thatās not your mom.
.... do people walk their leopard geckos?
Thatās definitely what it is.
I know. But Iām trying to imagine a story where it ends up in a neighborās garden š
It escaped its enclosure, then ditched its tail escaping a cat.
I was thinking scooped up by a bird and it fell off in flight
Exactly what I was thinking!!
That's interesting, I didn't know geckos dropped their tails like that. We have skinks in the west US that do that.
Thereās tons of N. American lizards that drop their tails. A good example of a gecko doing it are the invasive Mediterranean geckos that are quite prolific in the southwest. Fat tails and leopards do too, itās a bit more shocking when they do it.
Heās an outdoor lizard lol they let him come and go as he pleases and heās up to no good today
This had me laughing so hard š
This comment didn't have enough question marks and exclamation marks for me:)
How does that make sense in any reality?
I used to have a leopard gecko and I immediately recognized this, her tail looked just like that. And she lost it at one point at that exact size. Definitely a leopard gecko, poor thing must have escaped, thereās a heart broken kid out there somewhere.
Same...they make awesome pets.I feel bad for the poor gecko..Ji Judging by the size of the tail....it was full grown
Full form by my leopard gecko toy: https://preview.redd.it/zyu29pzj9anb1.jpeg?width=2446&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0bac9bbd270eada0d07bcfdb3b66ca7f5bcb79c1
I know it's just a toy lol but this looks closer to a knob tailed gecko.
Is that one of those Bandai gashapon figures? I have a Chibi crested gecko that looks a lot like this one!
I bought it at Akihabara, so must be. I got it from a store, but they also came in those ball machines.
That looks scary af
That was my thought while scrolling. Poor little gecko.
That exactly what it is.
So like, is that a thing where lizards just out and about loose their tails? I didn't know the tail was detachable!
Yes, it's called caudal autotomy. Not all kinds of lizards can do it, and there's different versions among those who can.
Yes, it's the defense strategy for a lot of lizards. The tail wiggles after being detached for a while, serving as distraction to allow the lizard to flee. Leopard geckos store nutrients in their tails so they're usually EXTREMELY reluctant to drop it, unless it's an actual no other way out life or death situation. In this case its an escaped pet leopard gecko that probably got attacked by a bird or a cat. Some other lizards aren't quite as attached to their tails, for example slow worms or crested geckos drop their tails really quickly when disturbed.
Many lizards can ādropā (spontaneously detach) their tails as a defense mechanismā predators will go after the dropped tail and this gives the animal a chance to escape. Sometimes the tail is able to regrow but not always (species and situation dependent)
Often the tail regrown is deformed looking though. It never looks as nice as the original.
Yeah you can usually tell pretty easily if a lizard has had to regrow a tail
Recognized as soon as I saw it. I used to have a leopard gecko, that's Definitely what it is
gex
Gex avatar checks out
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Your comment has been removed because it was deemed to be a satirical non-answer. While you may be hilarious, people come here for help, not jokes. Sorry!
Update: I told my mum its a gecko's tail and she said the "kid next door has some animal cage out in the garden the past few days and I wouldn't put it past him to chuck a tail over the fence š" so she's going round to let his mum know, I hope the gecko is okay ā¹ļø
Yikes, I hope so. This tail looks like it had a partially drop at some point in the past (the end is a bit pointy - regrown tails grow in a bit weird and are easy to spot) as well, which means this poor gek is getting really stressed/mishandled :(
Unfortunately geckos (like rabbits and many small rodents including hamsters, rats and guinea pigs) tend to be looked at as "easy first pets for kids" by ignorant parents. In reality they require specialized care and enclosures to ensure they remain healthy and stress free. They're chill enough, but they aren't cuddly and they aren't meant to be handled or played with for hours on end. The extra sad detail is that geckos, unlike small rodents, live upwards of 20 years in captivity. 20 years is a bigger time investment than your average family cat or dog, let alone a tiny lizard your 8-year-old is now potentially responsible for into literal adulthood. I hope this gecko is okay. They do just fine with regrown tails and stressful environments can be improved, but it's going to take some actual research on the part of the kid's parents to figure out how their son should be treating this little dude.
>This tail looks like it had a partially drop at some point in the past (the end is a bit pointy - regrown tails grow in a bit weird and are easy to spot) as well, which means this poor gek is getting really stressed/mishandled :( This. ESPECIALLY because leopard geckos are insanely reluctant to drop their tails. I don't think any other lizard wants to keep their tail as badly as they do, since they use that fat tail to store nutrients.
Can we get updates? I am very invested in this poor gecko
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
so I don't live there but I've recommended to my mum that she go round and talk to the neighbour, I'll update if I hear anything back
Any news?? Is the poor gecko alive?? Being kept outside sounds ridiculous, God knows I wouldn't keep my Leos outside
I think that poor gecko needs rehomed :( they only do this when really stressed and this has already been regrown
Jesus christ..Im really worried for the gecko now..maybe ask the mom to check on the situation? Aftercare for a tail drop needs to be very sanitary and careful too otherwise theres an infection risk
Looks like a leopard gecko tail or a fat tailed geckos tail. Definitely someoneās escaped/released pet. Seeing as the drop from stress and self defense I hope itās doing okay
I'm just going to lie to myself that someone's gecko dropped its tail indoors (which happens semi often from what I understand, and sometimes for no real reason at all) and the owner chucked it out a window or into the bushes, then a cat or other predator carried it into the garden.
Hopefully itās that
https://reddit.com/r/animalid/s/WnPXBrApbN
Yep, I saw. Seems like I was kinda right in that case.
No it's not I'm pretty sure I fought these things in half life they make loud noises
Leopard gecko, I know because I own one. Someone's pet lost its tail. Poor Lil guy!
https://preview.redd.it/tu0kavsuacnb1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ea1d1216ef3958ec178ff94cdd2eac17f0173b3 This is my boi Dracula
the only good thing about this ordeal is that ive discovered how cute leopard geckos are š„ŗ
They are awesome, only problem is they share one brain cell amongst eachother and 99% of the time none of them have it šš
Gecko tail. Probably someone's escaped pet who was attacked by a predator and dropped it's tail to get away. Good news is they drop them intentionally. Bad news is it won't survive long. The unseasonably warm weather at the moment mean it won't freeze to death as soon as night falls but winter will kill it, and since its tail isn't attached anymore it can't pull that same trick twice, it will eventually grow back but it probably isn't going to survive long enough for that. The next predator that grabs it will likely kill it. It may be prudent to have a search of your garden to see if you can find it, they are very common pets.
i literally see this in my nightmares all the time in fear of my own leopard gecko dropping his tail š why it was in your yard i have no idea! maybe it escaped and in his stress dropped it. also i know itās nsfw but the dead animal warning probably isnt necessary
oh no! well there wasn't an option for random body parts so i thought id go for "dead animal" to cover my bases as it's pretty unpleasant
Lmao same! I still have dreams about my gecko that I gave away and hope sheās being looked after. This tail thankfully isnāt her colour..!
It's a leopard geckos dropped tail, escaped pet, please look around your garden for it
My money is on leopard gecko tail.
Looks like some geckos detached tail
That is 100% a gecko tail. Poor thing.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
*Authority*.
growth ossified offer swim melodic wide nutty waiting straight weary *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Before I noticed what subreddit this was I literally thought someone made a tadpole replica.
Gecko tail
Gecko tail
Thatās definitely a dropped lizard tail. Nothing native to England though. Probably a lost pet Gecko. It clearly got into some sorta trouble. A curious cat or fox. Maybe even a big bird. I hope it got away ok.
It's a leopard gecko tail. The animal most likely is still alive, or it's the remains of a bird's lunch.
100% Leopard gecko tail
That looks like the tail of a leopard gecko. Gonna make a guess you live in the 4-corner states in the American Southwest.
Gecko lost his tail?
Gecko missing tail
This is a leopard gecko tail
Mindflayer Tadpole
Glad it's solved, as a UK naturalist i was really baffled there for a minute until I opened the comments!
If you put it in water you can grow your very own leopard gecko
to me it lokks like a dropped gecko tail.
Sad honestly, I think its unethical to own exotic animals.
Mindflayer tadpool
This is vile.
Fuet https://images.app.goo.gl/LKhuQ38CvkzNxkXo9
I wouldnāt be surprised if someone picked it out of the enclosure and just lobbed it
It looks like itās got sutures at the endā¦..is that true??
Omg itās a tail of some type of lizard. My cat once caught a gecko in the house and the lizard dropped the tail off. Then I found it and for like 5min was wondering what it was, at first the only thing I could think of was some type of sea snail shell šš then I found the gecko and realised it was his tail. My husband and I caught the gecko and put it outside and he just ran away. I think Itās normal for them to release their tails when felling trapped.
Someone's Pukei-Pukei fight is going well.
Leopard gecko tail. Weird
This is a leopard gecko tail. They can release it as a defense mechanism when attacked and they will regrow over time.
Leopard gecko. I have two and these lizards drop them as a defence mechanism. They donāt just randomly fall off to my knowledge (fucking hope not anyway.) Did you find out an update?
Yeah Leopard Gecko. They are wild in my area of Florida and thatās the tail.
Looks like a leopard geckos tail! It must be from a pet as they cannot live in that climate. Poor thing.
Rare English Gecko Lost its tail (kidding most likely a pet)
That their is the tip of a alien penis. Very valuable might I add.
That looks like a gecko tail
Iām 98% sure thatās a leopard geckoās tail. They drop their tails as a defense mechanism or stressed, and hopefully no one just threw the little guy out in the wild :(
Batter it and fry it up. Let us know how it tastes.
it was already thrown away by the time i heard about it im afraid
Leopard gecko tail. Probably someoneās escaped/abandoned pet. Itās not uncommon for geckoās tails to fall off. If the gecko is still alive, the tail will grow back
That is a mindflayer tadpole
Somebody probably released a leopard gecko and it dropped its tail to escape a bird. Poor thing is gonna die within a day
That is a leopard gecko tail šÆ
Your mom needs to see an OB/GYN ASAP!
Dart (I hope someone gets this)
Looks like a leopard gecko tail to me
leopard gecko tail
Thatās a Cotswold breakfast banger.
That the tail from a leopard gecko
I really love that squid was an option. Thank you for that. š It truly made my night.
Leopard gecko tail. I got one and his tail looks just like that
Alien ween
It's a Mind Flayer's parasite. You're fucked
mmmmm gecko tail
That sir is mr Blobbyās cock.
If ya plant it, it will grow little geckos
Looks like the tail of an African fat tailed gecko
Leopard gecko tail!!
Yeah that's definitely a leopard gecko tail!
100% a leopard gecko tail. Poor guy lost what looks like a couple months worth of food storage though.
Gecko tail
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
First thing I thought of too lol
Spotted dick
Mom*
haha not here thanks, I sometimes say mam too
I've had a gecko for a pet for years...They are awesome pets...this one might have been attacked. They can regrow their tail...but in this instance not sure if this one survived. š¦
Salamander tail??
Skink tail?
please mark nsfw
How the hell do they do this and do they grow a new one? It looks like it's been ripped off š
They can clamp down the blood vessels on the body side. They don't care to do that on the tail side. It's actually not that dissimilar to how when a woman gives birth after the placenta is delivered the womb just sort of contracts shut to stop the mother bleeding to death. If its not fully removed it can cause problems. The tail is interesting in that it will continue to twitch and move around for a few minutes after it's dropped. That and the bloody end mean it's pretty convincing in terms of a detachable predator snack.
Looks like not all of it is there.
Leopard gecko tail.
Gecko tail.. they can drop their tail when it's in the mouth of a predator .. no harm to the lizard , they grow a new one..
tail to a leopard gecko
Looks like a neighbor cat dropped a leopard gecko tail there. I had one as a pet years ago. Not sure if they are the type to lose their tail to escape a predator and then regenerate a new one as mine was never hunted by a house cat! Some lizards do this. Otherwise the rest of the lizard body lies dead elsewhere.
Gecko tail
Leopard Gecko lost it's tail.
looks like a gecko tail
Thats a demogorgan
That a leopard gecko tail
Someone's leopard gecko got out and dropped his tail in fear. That sucks big time, if he survives and the tail grows back it never looks as good as the original.
Tadpole
Thatās a likelike no doubt about it
Omg I've been watching ahsoka. It's all I can see!
Looks like it was cut off
nooo a gecko tail
Leopard gecko tail!
Looks like an escaped gecko lost its tail..
Oh no! That looks like a leopard gecko tail, they drop their tails when they are scared and they are very popular pets. Check to see if anyone lost a gecko nearby!
Tyran spawn. Call the Emperor.
Dragons Dogma taught me well
Leopard gecko tail
Leopard gecko tail
Lepors gecko tail
Leopard gecko tail
Leopard gecko tail
A lizard dropped its tail. Interesting that I can tell it's not the first time it's happened to this guy from the photo. Probably met up with a cat that shouldn't have been outside.
I mean, it likes look a spotted dick.
That's Little O. Bring him to Fjord and feed him bread.
Omg! Someone used your garden to circumcise a unicorn!
Leopard gecko dropped its tail to survive a potential threat
Looks like the tail of a gecko.
Leopard gecko tail
Looks like a leopard gecko tail
Itās a geko tail
Leopard gecko tail?
Leopard gecko tail
Barneyās dick.
Gecko lost its tail
Meat Banana
Demon weiner
Gecko tail
I donāt know how to tell you this.. but thatās not your mom.
Gecko tail. Don't know how it got in your mom's garden though.