This egg-laying amphibian feeds its babies ‘milk’

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A unique egg-laying amphibian, the Taita Hills caecilian (Boulengerula   tait anus), has been discovered to feed its young with a nutrient-rich, skin-based secretion akin to "milk." This amphibian, which resembles a small, legless snake, is found in Kenya’s Taita Hills and has a fascinating maternal care behavior.


After laying eggs, the mother caecilian produces a thick, nutritious layer of skin that the babies scrape off and consume using specialized teeth. This "milk" provides essential fats and proteins that help the young grow rapidly during their early stages of development. The behavior is remarkable because it combines aspects of both egg-laying and live-bearing species, providing nourishment to offspring post-hatching in a way similar to mammals.


This discovery sheds light on the diverse strategies animals have evolved to care for their young and challenges the assumption that lactation-like behavior is limited to mammals. It also highlights how little is known about the reproductive behaviors of many amphibians.

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