When born, baby caecilians — legless amphibians that look like a mash-up of a snake and a worm — use their tiny hook-shaped teeth to scrape off their mother’s skin and feast.
The flakes are dead but extra fatty and nutrient-rich, and within three months the infant squirmers have grown into independent teenagers.
According to a study published in May, skin-feeding allows mothers to pass on their unique microbiomes and possibly inoculate their offspring’s immune systems — the first known instance of microbiome transmission among amphibians.
“It’s a remarkably weird thing,” said David Blackburn, the curator of herpetology at the Florida Museum and author of the study.
Very few amphibians are known to care for their children — most frog and salamander species tend to lay their eggs and leave once they hatch — but caecilians have evolved sophisticated parenting strategies.
Persons:
”, David Blackburn
Organizations:
Florida Museum