Hey all, I was wondering what does an anole use his tail for? Does he use it for balance? Or protection? Or what? If anyone can let me know the answer that will be great!!!
From what I've always known of the species, having kept many as secret pets when I was young and read of them, anoles use their tails for many reasons. The main ones are defense and balance. When an anole feels threatened, it will "throw its tail" or basically allow it to fall off. The fallen tail will twitch upon the ground, providing a distraction to would-be predators while the lizard makes a hasty escape. The tail regrows within weeks of being shed. The balance factor comes from being an arboreal species, meaning that they love trees, bushes and other high, leafy areas. They need the tail to balance them so that they are less likely to fall. The last, which I found online a couple months back is fat storage. The base of the tail should look thick and healthy, but not obese. Hope this helps! ~Britt
