Alligators can regrow their tails, study finds

Alligators in the Anhinga Trail in Everglades National Park in Florida. Researchers from Arizona State University and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries discovered that young alligators have the ability to regrow their tails up to three-quarters of a foot. Photo: Leila Macor/AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Researchers have discovered that alligators, which date back to dinosaur days and can grow 14ft (4.3m) long or more, can regenerate themselves – not unlike geckos, or the tuatara of New Zealand.

The team from Arizona State University (ASU) and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries discovered that young alligators have the ability to regrow their tails up to three-quarters of a foot, or 18% of their total body length, according to a study published recently in Scientific Reports.