Injured Salvator merianae (Teiidae) regenerates six tails in central Argentina

Abstract

Some lizards have the ability of partially regenerate many tissues like nerve cells, part of the mandible, and parts of the limbs; and most of them can regenerate the tail. Tail autotomy followed by tail regeneration is a strategy widely used in lizards to escape from predators. In some cases tail breaks but it does not detaches completely from the body, leading to a regenerated tail with multiple tips. Here we report a young individual of Salvator merianae from central Argentina that presented six regenerated tails growing from a major injury in its tail.