Just when I think I’ve seen it all!
We differ from animals in many different ways, especially when it comes to their various abilities. I don’t just mean their ability to breathe underwater, or to fly through the air.
Did you know that some animals can regrow their body parts?
Regrowing your tail is pretty cool. But what about creatures that can regrow their eyes, or fish that can mend their broken hearts?
Let’s read about their regenerative superpowers!
1. Starfish
As the name suggests, these creatures remind us of stars. With their orange appearance and five arms, these are quite unique-looking.
Their mouths are hidden underneath, surrounded by tube feet, which they use for moving around.
But here’s the part you’ve been waiting for – starfish can regenerate body parts. This ability is used as a self defense mechanism. They shed arms to escape their enemies.
Since these are the stars of the show, they make their performance even more dramatic. These creatures can regrow an entire new body from just a single arm! Just wow!
2. Axolotl
Look at this thing!
This creature belongs to the family of salamanders, but is the black sheep of the family.
Most salamanders go through metamorphosis, after which they start living on land. Axolots stay in the water for their entire life.
Something else that makes them stand out is their ability to regenerate body parts. But here’s the coolest part, they can literally regrow their eyes.
This happens because special cells rebuild the damaged parts making it a fully functional new eye. Wow!
These cuties aren’t as harmless as they seem, eating almost anything that comes their way. These are real predators!
3. Lizard
Whether teeny-tiny like the geckos, or huge like the Komodo dragon, these fairy-tale creatures often share a trait – regrowing body parts.
This tactic is used to escape predators. As it is attacked, the lizard detaches its tail, confusing the predator and escaping. Pretty cool, right?
When their new tail regrows, it has all the same characteristics. The only difference is that the new tail isn’t made from bone, it’s made from cartilage.
Depending on the species, some can regrow their tails multiple times, but others just once or twice.
4. Deer
Am I just easily impressed or does this list get better and better?
The most distinguishing feature of deer are their antlers. Making them look strong and intimidating, they use them as weapons in fights.
But, did you know that these shed and regrow each year?
The reason for shedding is their hormones. As the breeding season ends, the old ones fall off, making space for the new ones.
5. Zebrafish
Broken heart? No problem! Zebrafish can fix that damage.
Their superpower lies in their ability to recover from cardiac damage within 90 days.
Zebrafish play an important role for research and understanding many cardiac diseases. These tiny creatures might change the world, making them the true heroes of this list.