Reptiles - Regeneration in Vertebrates

Among reptiles, the lizards like the Gecko Hemidactylus flaviviridis and Anolis carolinensis can again generate their tail, following autotomy (self amputation). While in a lizard the tail is shed by autotomy, a regeneration blastema forms at the wound surface that gives rise to a new tail. Regeneration occurs by epimorphosis. The regenerated tail of lizard though is different from the original tail as the normal segmentation of the vertebral column is not resorted in place of a long tapering cartilaginous tube develops with in which the spinal cord gets located. Furthermore the scales that are covering the regenerated tail also differ from the Scales in the original tail. The regenerated spinal cord is just only an ependymal tube without neurons. Lizards though, are unable to regenerate amputated limbs. In an experiment, only early stages of regeneration up to blastema formation in amputated legs could be induced in the lizard. Anolis through augmentation of nerve supply.