One of the strangest meal-times in the animal kingdom has been caught on film by a BBC crew.
The team recorded footage of a female worm-like amphibian, called a caecilian, allowing her young to peel off and eat her skin.

Scientists have only recently discovered this bizarre parental behaviour.

The female caecilian's skin becomes thicker and more nutrient-rich when she bears offspring. And the young have specialised teeth for tearing and removing it.

The crew was able to catch this behaviour on camera by building a set which resembled the shallow, humid underground chambers that the creatures live in.

The caecilian babies would only eat their mother's skin for about 10 minutes, once every three days, and often at night.
go

Fascinating. Not unlike providing milk for the offspring.

"ewwwwwwww" You do what ya gotta do! OMG thats nasty still.

I dont think that theres an amphibian that actually gives milk to young! lol

At least its its skin and not its poop. Should think themselves lucky.

Although amazing, I'm glad there wasn't a video to watch....I don't think I could handle that

Indeed! There are some mammals that eat their parents' poop to jumpstart their digestive systems (like elephants). Still, eating your parents' skin is pretty nasty as well.

Would be nice to fish with that kinda worm :>

Huh? Did you choose not to watch the available video?

I looked at the picture and read the article, just went back and saw that there was a video...And had I seen there was a video in the first place, I still wouldn't have watched it....The picture was enough for me.......

Nan, do you bait your own hook when you go fishing?

Are you being serious........ If you are, yes I have....It's not the worms it's the worms eating the skin....

Fascinating...

Fair enough!

Is that your Seal of Approval

That's my flesh-eating worm of approval. They're cute and cuddly. They only nip a little.

LOL...I gather your a fisherman.....

I drown a few worms. The fish seem amused, for the most part.

There was a video, and it really wasn,t that bad goali! Infact it was very interesting, thanks for the great find Owls !

Ewww your brave...

Honestly goalie, it was more like they were eating the skin she was shehedding, and not at all like they were cannibalising their mommy at all! Go on be brave, check it out and see!

There, I hope your satisfied my friend....I watched it half way through and thank goodness the video was dark because it was hard to see.........

Well i,m very proud of you anyway, and your courage is to be commended my firend!

Thank You, I am now taking my bows.....

it was on life in cold blood by David attenborough

Okkkaay... Thats gross Imagin humans done the same as them at birth? Wouldn't be a pretty site.

btw Out of curiosity... If they eat the flesh, do the parent still live? if still do, what keeps the insides... inside?
Probaly a very reasonable simple answer that I didn't think of... but I'd like to know
Thats how you learn

i saw this on Life In Cold Blood on BBC 1 last night.
very interesting. I think they're a type of salamander.

"Out of curiosity... If they eat the flesh, do the parent still live? if still do, what keeps the inside... inside?"
if i remember correctly, after birth the parent develops nutrient rich skin which the offspring tear off every day for however long it is (can't remember).
The skin grows back every day or every other day. or something like that

If you watch the tape they say that the babies drink a nutrient secretion the mother produces, then every 3 days they eat the dead skin the mother is shedding, not biting into and eating her flesh! If you,ve ever seen the skin a snake has shed, well it,s a bit like that only in smaller pieces instead of the whole thingat once! And it probably doesn,t hurt the mother anymore than when you peel the skin of your own body after being sun burned. It probably even feels good to get that crappy dead skin off!

Not at all that strange. Skin is full of protiens and chitin that can be recycled. Crabs eat their own molts after they shed.