23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
Agama Lizard Minus Its Long Tail Regenerating a New Tail, the Process of Caudal Autonomy

My tour bus driver drove us to the Kakum National Park. This Agama lizard scooted by me with its shortened tail. When the Agama lizard is threatened, it can detach its tail. The regenerating tail, made of cartilage instead of vertebral bone like that of the original tail, is weaker, but functional.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 01.2023
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: near Cape Coast, Ghana, Ghana
Camera: DMC-FZ70
Copyright: © Marilyn Adelman