Lizards drop their tails (scientifically known as "autotomy") to distract predators while they escape from danger. Lizard tails are made in a special way which allows the individual vertebrae and the muscles surrounding them to break apart with little loss of blood or damage to the lizard. The vertebrae breaks along a fracture plane through the middle of the bone, not between the bones, when the lizard contracts its muscles. This allows the tail to drop off, jerking and twitching for several minutes, with little loss of blood or damage to its owner. If the lizard escapes, it will grow a new smaller tail, but with cartilage instead of bone inside. The tail skin will also be a different colour from the rest of the lizard.