Both animals are adapted to lose and regrow parts of their bodies. Many lizards have special muscles and easily separated tail vertebrae, making it easy for them to lose their tail. Some can even drop their tails before they are attacked. The wiggling tail occupies the predator while the lizard escapes.

Many crabs have similar arrangements of muscles and weak spots, which allows them to easily lose a leg if it is grabbed by a predator. While the predator eats the leg, the crab escapes and grows a new leg.