Milk provisioning in oviparous caecilian amphibians. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38452082/)

These scientists studied a special type of amphibian called a caecilian, which is an egg-laying animal similar to a snake. They found that the mother caecilian produces a special type of milk that is rich in fats and sugars to feed her babies after they hatch from their eggs. The researchers watched as the baby caecilians drank this milk from their mother for two months after they were born.

The milk is made in special glands inside the mother's body and is released through a hole near her tail. The babies can sense the milk and come to drink it when they feel or hear their mother nearby. This discovery shows that even animals that are not mammals like us can also have ways to take care of their babies by providing them with special food. It helps scientists learn more about how animals communicate and take care of their young.

Mailho-Fontana PL., Antoniazzi MM., Coelho GR., Pimenta DC., Fernandes LP., Kupfer A., Brodie ED Jr., Jared C. Milk provisioning in oviparous caecilian amphibians. Science. 2024 Mar 8;383(6687):1092-1095. doi: 10.1126/science.adi5379. Epub 2024 Mar 7.