Surviving from predation is one of the most critical tasks for an animal. There are a number of ways to achieve this goal. One is to make sure that predators never gets you. As a result, some animals evolve superior locomotor ability to run away from predators, whereas others evolve astonishing camouflage so that predators can’t even find them. However, if a predator does get a grip on an animal, does that mean it is doomed? Well, in some cases there might still be some hope. Some animals can voluntarily discard certain body parts when it is caught by a predator. Which body part is disposable, however, varies among species. Some animals, such as insects and spiders, can discard their legs; other animals, such as lizards, can shed their tails. This amazing phenomenon, which biologists named it autotomy, provides the animal with a last-minute way of escape. You might wonder if the animal loses the body part forever after autotomy. Fortunately, the lost body part can be regenerated within a relatively short period of time.
-Chi-Yun Kuo
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