To undergo or perform self-amputation; to detach a part of one's body voluntarily or involuntarily.
From Greek 'auto-' (self) + 'tomize' (from 'tome' meaning cut, with '-ize' American verbal suffix). American English spelling variant of autotomise.
When a gecko autotomizes, sometimes the tail continues to move and twitch for several minutes after detachment—confusing the predator. The tail actually contains special breaking points in the vertebrae designed specifically for this purpose.
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