Tail detaches?!

[ConcinusMan]

Do some lizards really detach their tails?

Yeah, like most of them. If you grab it, it comes off and the lizard escapes. The tail grows back, but not as nice as the original tail. North American skinks (and perhaps some others) can drop their tail even if you don't grab it.

I assure you, if you grab the tail of a ribbon snake, it will remain quite attached. If you grab a snake's tail and it comes off, it's not a snake. It's a legless lizard.

yeah, actually i think most lizard species will drop tails. whether or not they grow them back varies as does how quick they are to drop them. usually the prehensile-tailed ones are less likely to. i'm not sure if iguanids or monitors do at all though..

Monitors, iguanas, chameleons... those are three I can think of that do not have detachable tails. Grab that, and they'll just turn around bite you.

By the way, that "milk" thing is a myth. Any ice cold liquid will do, preferably clean water. It's the cold that preserves