The gecko is a familiar character, from Geico commercials to scurrying down Miami sidewalks, but a recently discovered species called the Geckolepis Megalepis is the new reptile ‘Houdini’.

This newly discovered lizard can sense when a predator is near and then suddenly rip off its scales to escape looking like a slimy raw chicken breast according to Mark D. Sherz at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

The lizard’s new shiny exterior makes it extremely difficult for predators with claws or jaws to grab onto them. Even though the process seems painful, the geckos remain unharmed and regrow all of their scales within a few weeks.

This species has the largest scales of any fish-scale gecko according to the New York Times, which makes it easier for them to remove the scales quickly.

Although this new species is a marvel in the reptile world, scientists haven’t been able to observe them outside the wild because they are so difficult to capture.

“They are nightmares to catch,” Sherz told New York Times.