An amphibian that produces milk?

This is behavior typically seen only in mammals, researchers said

(Image credit: Luis Espin / iStock / Getty Images Plus)

published 8 March 2024

What happened?

Caecilians, worm-like amphibians that live underground, produce a milk-like substance for their hatchlings. This is behavior typically seen only in mammals, said Brazilian researchers Thursday in results published in the journal Science. Baby caecilians had previously been found to eat their mother's skin.

Milk-feeding from egg-laying species is "very unique," as is the "begging behavior" caecilian pups exhibit when they want to feed from their mother's behind, or cloaca, said Pedro Mailho-Fontana at Brazil's Butantan Institute. "It's like they're from another planet," said lead study author Carlos Jared, whose Butantan Institute team has been studying caecilians since 1987. "For me, they're like Martians."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.