Leopard Gecko - Defense Mechanisms

Defense Mechanisms

Leopard geckos have predators, such as snakes, frogs, or foxes and other large reptiles. Their keen sense of hearing and sight help them escape from them during the night. Along with their exceptional sight and hearing abilities, their skin helps camouflage themselves from their predators. Their sense of taste and smell also helps them with survival. The shedding of their skin also removes any scent markers left behind for potential predators to discover. When they feel threatened, startled, or scared, leopard geckos hiss to ward off predators. Also, they stay in underground holes and burrows during the daytime, not only avoid the heat, but to also avoid the risk of getting eaten.

Leopard geckos also have the ability to voluntarily detach their tails if it is attacked, grabbed by the tail, bitten during copulation, or nipped by another during feeding. This is called caudal autotomy. After autotomy the tail can continue to twitch for as long as 30 minutes, allowing the gecko to escape from its predator. The tail is large and it's been reported that the tail-less fleeing gecko makes for a quicker getaway. Fractures in the tailbone allow the tail to separate easily and rapid vasoconstriction allows the gecko to suffer minimal blood loss. This detaching of the tail does not harm the gecko in any way. It will regenerate its tail immediately because it is needed for survival. A lost tail may cause sickness to the gecko and in some cases kill it, but this is very rare. Regenerated tails often retain similar colors to the original tail, however they are often smooth and lack the rigid qualities and length of a normal tail. The tail will also be shorter and often fatter than the previous tail.