WHY DOES TAIL LOSS INCREASE A LIZARD'S LATER VULNERABILITY TO SNAKE PREDATORS?

By S. Downes, R. Shine. 2001

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The costs of autotomy and regeneration in animals: a review and framework for future research (2006, background): “…forage/capture prey or escape from predators (survivorship: Fox and McCoy 2000; foraging: Smith and Hines 1991a; Ramsay et al. 2001; Cooper 2003; predator escape: Dial and Fitzpatrick 1983b; Vitt and Cooper 1986; Formanowicz et al. 1990; Wilson 1992; Smith 1995; Stoks 1999; Downes and Shine 2001).”
To cut a long tail short: a review of lizard caudal autotomy studies carried out over the last 20 years (2009, background): “…demonstrate a decrease in running speed (Pond, 1978; Ballinger, Nietfeldt & Krupa, 1979; Punzo, 1982; Formanowicz, Brodie & Bradley, 1990;Martı́n & Avery, 1998; Downes & Shine, 2001; Chapple & Swain, 2002b; Shine, 2003; Cooper et al., 2004; Lin & Ji, 2005; P. A. Fleming et al., unpubl. data).”
Loss of body mass under predation risk: cost of antipredatory behaviour or adaptive fit-for-escape? (2004, background): “This behavioural response is probably mediated by a strong effect of tail loss on escape ability, which motivates individuals to remain close to refuges (Marti ´n & Avery 1998; Downes & Shine 2001 ).”
Predator lethality, optimal escape behavior, and autotomy (2010, background): “Increase in lethality is a major consequence of autotomy (Congdon et al. 1974; Cooper and Vitt 1985, 1991; Downes and Shine 2001; Cooper and Vitt 1991).”