Watch: Even without tails, geckos can hunt

Losing their tails doesn’t stop geckos from being able to capture their prey. That’s good news for the reptiles, which need plenty of nutrients to regenerate their lost appendages. Past studies have shown that tailless geckos are hindered in their ability to run, jump and mate. But researchers recently found they can still capture crickets. Geckos in an artificial enclosure captured the insects about 77% of the time, with or without tails, although tailless geckos were a bit slower and awkward.

Read the study in Integrative and Comparative Biology and watch the video below.

Credit: Marina Vollin/UCR