The amazing gecko: It's all in the tail

In addition to his super-sticky paws that help him rival Spiderman for climbing sheer walls, the mighty gecko also has a tail optimized for predator-resistance. From MSNBC:

Like a pair of Velcro stripper pants, gecko tails come off easy. The lizards have pre-formed score lines in their tail that allow them to quickly rip off their tails when a predator has grabbed it, according to a new study. The gecko tails, which were described Wednesday in the journal PLoS One, essentially stick to the body of the animals with adhesive forces. "The tail contains 'score lines' at distinct horizontal fracture planes where the tail may be released as a response to predation," the authors wrote in the article. "These scores penetrate all the way through the tissue where the structural integrity is maintained by adhesion forces."

The article points out it's long been known that many species of reptile and amphibian shed their tails to evade predators, but this is the first time the exact mechanism by which that occurs has been identified. Get the story , and, if you're a science wonk, the actual study here.