A newly discovered species of gecko possesses a tearaway skin that saves it from predators.
The scientific world has just filed a newly discovered species of gecko that is capable of an original method of escaping from the hands of death. There are several known beings that would rather leave a part of them behind than face the fatal consequences of getting caught by their predators. For instance, lizards can give up their long tail as long as they get to live another day. However, the fish-scale gecko has gone to extremes in cases of danger. They have a tearaway skin ability that they can leave behind, so their enemies end up with just their fish-like scales instead of dinner.
The new species of gecko is called Geckolepis megalepis, and the first paper about it has just appeared in the journal PeerJ. The creature looks like a normal gecko, except for the scales that cover their body. These scales are of large dimensions, and they look exactly like the ones that cover the skin of fish. The new species of gecko has its natural habitat in northern Madagascar and only around the Ankarana massif.
Even though of small sizes, the fish-scale gecko managed to impress scientists right from the beginning. It seems to possess a supernatural power that consists of having some kind of control over its fish-like scales. Contrary to its peers, the Geckolepis megalepis has the biggest scales among geckos. At any sign of perturbation, the fish-scale gecko takes advantage of its tearaway skin to confuse predators with a decoy while they run away to safer locations.
The fact that their scales are of large dimensions enables the new geckos to have better control over them. Because they have a wider side that attaches directly to the skin than other kinds of scales, they can be easily ripped away. However, the size is not the only important factor here. The fish-scale geckos show signs of a control mechanism. The creature can order its scales to detach in the following second by activating an area of connective tissue. The fact that there is no bleeding encouraged scientists to believe that the vessels are shrinking to prevent this from happening.
The authors of the study observed the fact that the naked gecko can grow back its layer of scales within just a few weeks. Human medicine can learn a thing or two from this impressive regenerative power that is mostly based on stem cells located in the deeper layers of connecting tissue.
Image source: 1
Share this:
