35 blind mice

I just stumbled across a cool/ weird article about tail loss in rodents. Most people know that some lizards and salamanders autonomize (drop) their tails as a predator avoidance mechanism. The predator goes for the wriggling tail instead of the fleeing individual. Apparently, 35 species of mice have seperately evolved planes of separation between the skin and muscle in their tails. When a predator grabs the tail, the skin peels off (with some bleeding) and the mouse runs away. The mouse later chews off the remaining muscle and bone. Unlike their reptilian counterparts, the mice do not regrow their tails, and so can only do the trick once.