A case of limb regeneration in a wild adult Podarcis lilfordi lizard

Abstract

We report here a case of spontaneous limb regeneration in a wild Podarcis lilfordi lizard from the Balearic Islands. The animal had lost a hind limb, which regenerated posteriorly into a tail-like appendage. Despite not representing a functional regeneration, the growth of this structure after limb amputation suggests that survival of the individual may have been favored by the less restrictive conditions prevailing in insular environments. Nevertheless, such cases are extremely rare in lizards, with no reported cases over the last 60 years.