Did You Know Alligators Can Regrow Their Tails?

Move over lizards, there’s a new animal that can regenerate a lost tail in town.

Transcript

00:00Turns out tiny lizards aren't the only creatures that can regrow a lost tail.

00:08New research has found that young American alligators can also regenerate that limb.

00:12The findings, published in the journal Scientific Reports, indicate alligators can regrow a tail up to three-quarters of a foot.

00:18That's up to 18% of their total body length, which is a lot considering they can reach up to 14 feet long.

00:24The team from Arizona State University and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries used advanced imaging techniques,

00:30and they found that the new tails were complex structures, with a central skeleton made of cartilage,

00:35which was surrounded by connective tissue intertwined with blood vessels and nerves.

00:39But researchers were surprised to find scar-like connective tissue instead of skeletal muscle in the regrown tail.

00:45This is different from tiny lizards, which usually regrow their limbs with that muscle.

00:48The team believes being able to regrow their tails gives alligators an advantage in their murky habitat.

00:54Speedy Hastings

00:58Edited Mac

00:59Edited Mac