National Museum of Natural Science

The tails of grass lizards are long, about 3-4 times the length of the body. A long tail helps them grasp and move in complex grass environments and to balance when jumping.

All grass lizard species can shed their tail to escape, but tend not to. Unlike geckos, skinks, and other lizards that can shed their tail in response to just a slight touch, grass lizards only do so if subjected to a certain amount of force. This is likely due to the importance of a long tail to living in a grassy environment.

Tail shedding behavioral study:

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rspb.2016.2538

Long tails and short tails