noun
- the ability of an animal to shed or cast off a part of its body, especially as a defense mechanism
Usage: biological
Examples
- The lizard escaped from the predator through autotomy, leaving its tail behind.
- Many starfish can regenerate lost arms after autotomy.
- Autotomy is a common survival strategy among certain arthropods.
- The gecko’s autotomy allowed it to flee while the cat was distracted by the wriggling tail.
- Scientists study autotomy to understand how animals sacrifice body parts for survival.
- Crabs often use autotomy to escape from traps by shedding a claw.