# Dropped Tail



## Non Crimen (Jan 15, 2012)

What does this mean? I saw it on someones post.
Thanks
-Nick


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## james.w (Jan 15, 2012)

It means the tegu dropped part of its tail due to fear or someone grabbed it by the tail. More less part of the tail.fell off.


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## Non Crimen (Jan 15, 2012)

i take it that its bad? does it grow back


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## kellen.watkins (Jan 15, 2012)

Yes but it never grows back the same, they never get the length back and it grows back one solid color so the stripes/rings go away :-(


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## Leo93 (Jan 15, 2012)

Sad but true. Go to my thread new b&w sex and age?????. I posted a pic of one today
[attachment=3881]Heres one


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## dragonmetalhead (Jan 15, 2012)

The process is called caudal autotomy.


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## JohnMatthew (Jan 15, 2012)

Autotomy is possible for tegus but not nearly as common as it is in many of the other species of lizards who can drop their tails. I even pick my GUs up by the base of their tails, before scooping my other hand other them for support, and haven't seen a drop yet.


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## Leo93 (Jan 15, 2012)

Its just the tip that falls off. About 6 inches exactly on mine.


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## dragonmetalhead (Jan 15, 2012)

JohnMatthew said:


> Autotomy is possible for tegus but not nearly as common as it is in many of the other species of lizards who can drop their tails. I even pick my GUs up by the base of their tails, before scooping my other hand other them for support, and haven't seen a drop yet.



I believe with tegus the first quarter of the tail (the portion closest to the cloaca) can't be dropped as that's where the animal stores it's fat deposits. I use the tail base as support, too, but I don't pick Kodo up by the tail as he freaks and gets super squirmy when I have tried.


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## JohnMatthew (Jan 15, 2012)

dragonmetalhead said:


> I believe with tegus the first quarter of the tail (the portion closest to the cloaca) can't be dropped as that's where the animal stores it's fat deposits. I use the tail base as support, too, but I don't pick Kodo up by the tail as he freaks and gets super squirmy when I have tried.



That makes sense, though I've seen some with their tails broken off pretty darn close to the base. Maybe these extreme cases have more to do with plain physical trauma than self autotomy?


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## dragonmetalhead (Jan 16, 2012)

JohnMatthew said:


> dragonmetalhead said:
> 
> 
> > I believe with tegus the first quarter of the tail (the portion closest to the cloaca) can't be dropped as that's where the animal stores it's fat deposits. I use the tail base as support, too, but I don't pick Kodo up by the tail as he freaks and gets super squirmy when I have tried.
> ...



Certainly could be. The process involves muscles contracting and basically slicing vertebrae in half to prevent blood loss, so maybe it's more difficult if you have to slice through all the fat layers. I'm not going to test the theory to see how much of a tegu's tail can fall off, lol. I've also been told that iguanas drop their tails slightly differently from other lizards.


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