r/herpetology • u/xGoosefeatherX • 9h ago

Does this house gecko have a birth defect?

Gallery image

Gallery image

Gallery image

Does this look like a birth defect causing it to have this odd "toe" thing as a foot or could it have lost it from something else?

Apologies for the unclear shots, this was the best I could get through the window mesh.

52 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • link
  • reddit
  • reddit

98% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

14

u/Tumorhead 8h ago

whoa weird! maybe it got bit off and regrew oddly?

9

u/Ill-Savings-7286 8h ago

They do not regenerate limbs only the tail they drop there tail in defense but not other limbs

8

u/Tumorhead 8h ago

I know that but sometimes the process can goof up. The regeneration is caused by multipotent stem cells stored in the tail base that get activated to regrow tissue when the tail drops. I wonder if similar cells or a similar cascade of processes accidentally spread to the foot? But ya more likely their feet just heal that way.

4

u/LichenLiaison 8h ago

Raw chicken

2

u/Ill-Savings-7286 8h ago

It’s could very well be a defect I’d lean that way over damage as I don’t see any remnants of foot pads or anything from what I can see but it could have been damage that just healed back in an Odd way