When danger strikes, humans usually have two choices — run or fight. But in the wild, some animals have figured out a third, much stranger option: drop part of their own body to survive. It’s called ...

Tail autotomy, the self-induced shedding of a tail, represents a remarkable evolutionary adaptation that enables both reptiles and arthropods to evade predation and other life‐threatening challenges.

When attacked by a predator, this lizard performs a shocking act of survival known as autotomy, violently detaching its own tail to escape. The severed tail continues thrashing on the ground, ...