Leopard geckos are equipped to lose their tail when threatened so that they can escape their predators. Though it is a natural process, it requires a lot of energy and puts stress on the gecko.  They have planes of weakness on their tails that can cleave with intense muscular contractions, causing the tail to separate. The muscular contractions allow the dropped tail to continue to twitch, providing a distraction for their predator and allowing them to escape.  The tail will regrow after 5-8 weeks but it won’t look the same.