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'Flesh-eating' amphibians filmed

news.bbc.co.uk — One of the strangest meal-times in the animal kingdom has been caught on film. A female worm-like amphibian, called a caecilian, allows her young to peel off and eat her skin.

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  • Securis, on 02/11/2008, -18/+22We would have HUGE babies in America if human infants ate their mom's fatty skin.
    • mightydavefish, on 02/11/2008, -1/+1You can make pork rinds out of MOST of America.
    • MacSuxWindozSux, on 02/11/2008, -0/+2All that fat could make megatons of explosives.
  • stutimandal, on 02/11/2008, -5/+3Nature is awesome! It took me by immense surprise.
  • Respec7, on 02/11/2008, -3/+20WTF is that thing! I've never seen anything like that...
    • Jaysunli, on 02/11/2008, -0/+4haha

      This is the first time I've seen that creature aswell. Pretty alien looking.


      P.S. that narrator is great.
      • geekchic, on 02/11/2008, -1/+15"that narrator" is David Attenborough, one of the most respected television presenters in the UK and an icon of BBC nature programming.
    • HeaDiggrNCharge, on 02/11/2008, -0/+5Bear caught one on Man vs. Wild. He said they look like snakes, but are just "legless lizards" Also they are poisonous under their skin... so you cant eat it...

      The More You Know
  • sjbdallas, on 02/11/2008, -1/+28We're sure those things only eat their mom's skin right? I mean, i don't have to worry about one of those crawling in my bed tonight and chomping away?
    • thomtomw, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1as long as you don't sleep with them they wont.
    • mightydavefish, on 02/11/2008, -0/+2If they ask you "Are you my mommy?", say no.
  • zKman, on 02/11/2008, -1/+69NOM NOM NOM
    • Zephik, on 02/11/2008, -6/+3It is deelishus!
      • Zephik, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1oh come on, give me a break. I wanted to say NOM NOM NOM, but 4 minutes after the article was posted somebody already had done so. Man, you guys never sleep... :(

        Crap, now I'm going to get dugg down again. lol such a cruel world!
    • thaitan, on 02/11/2008, -4/+2MMmMMM, PHANKS MOM!
  • mbching, on 02/11/2008, -9/+3YUMMY MUMMY!
  • androo002345, on 02/11/2008, -4/+53baby caecilian to mother: This is gross.
    Mother caecilian to baby: Oh yeah? Human babies feed on their mothers boobs.
    Baby: ...ew.
    • Varz, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1Don't forget the caecilian 'secretions'.
  • S0L0, on 02/11/2008, -1/+6hmmmm... yuck.
  • icepick314, on 02/11/2008, -5/+16i thought this was about "human flesh-eating" worms....like flesh-eating bacteria....
  • Appox, on 02/11/2008, -9/+1gonna watch this on iPlayer tonight
  • waspbr, on 02/11/2008, -0/+8uh, I remember seeing one of those back when I was a kid in Brazil, they are freaky
    • rafxel, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1Me too, we called it "cobra de duas cabeças" or two headed snakes. (don't know if it's exactly that specie though)
  • Goobernutz, on 02/11/2008, -3/+1So do they eat flesh, or do they "eat flesh"? Either I'm confused, or they are lying to the public. We demand the truth!
  • Lanefair, on 02/11/2008, -0/+11Snakes shed their skin, which is why I don't seem to find this too unusual. Also, mothers feed their young in all sorts of ways in the animal kingdom. Vomiting, breastfeeding..actually I could only think of two.
  • Len4a, on 02/11/2008, -0/+0Just ornery thing
  • trezegol, on 02/11/2008, -1/+8I was eating when I saw that pic, sorry but I have to say it:

    EWWWWWWWWWW
  • Hillsbottom, on 02/11/2008, -1/+4long live David Attenborough!
  • Edwaldo, on 02/11/2008, -3/+1Those look like their straight out of a science fiction film.
    • Stupidumb, on 02/11/2008, -1/+4their straight out of a science fiction film what?
  • Chalesb, on 02/11/2008, -0/+0wow that sucks for the mom
  • whalt, on 02/11/2008, -0/+12The skin is always the best part.
  • iguanapunk, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1Where's my spoiler warning? I was going to watch this tonight, now there's no point because you've exposed the plot!
  • Antibland, on 02/11/2008, -2/+2Just your standard-issue Oedipus complex.
    • Nac85, on 02/11/2008, -2/+0Wait... so you're saying that all those worms killed their father while coming towards a Crossroads, then went to a major city, solved a riddle, and then married then mother bearing children with her? I'm confused...
      • Terr01, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1Or maybe that they're functionally blind.
  • bitterbug, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1I love Attenborough's series. I highly recommend Life in the Undergrowth as well.
  • LightPhoenix, on 02/11/2008, -0/+13Never go in against a Caecilian when death is on the line!
  • rollerboy, on 02/11/2008, -0/+2I too allow my young lings to feast on my flesh. Too bad it's frowned upon by society.
  • biggrz, on 02/11/2008, -5/+2Definr: Flesh - the soft tissue of the body of a _vertebrate_: mainly muscle tissue and fat.

    Buried as innacurate!
    • Stupidumb, on 02/11/2008, -2/+6Buried as shut up
    • vap0r, on 02/11/2008, -1/+2It IS a vertebrate dummy!
    • Agrajag, on 02/11/2008, -1/+1Definr: Amphibian - 3: cold-blooded vertebrate typically living on land but
      breeding in water; aquatic larvae undergo metamorphosis
      into adult form.

      Buried as go back to biology class.
  • Mr.Gone, on 02/11/2008, -0/+3As long as it doesn't swim into my urethra I am fine with it.
  • blckng, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1Jeez...
    I think I read a Wolverine story like that...

  • outofbeta, on 02/11/2008, -0/+0i eat your skin and i drink your blood
  • binky79, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1Finally, now we can genetically design flesh eating zombies. Shotgun sales will skyrocket.
  • Kanaka, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1Mother nature can be REALLY gross at times
  • MetalLizard, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1This is lovely.
  • theghoul, on 02/11/2008, -0/+2Nature is weird.

    (cracks open a crab leg and dips it in caviar)
  • nazsco, on 02/11/2008, -0/+2windows media || real video == no video at all.
  • Psyfrox, on 02/11/2008, -0/+0baby cloverfield
  • rishath, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1Now...That spoiled my appetite!
  • krisscofield, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1Tentacle pr0n.
  • moletimer, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1Dugg for 'yummy mummy'.
  • itsgotyou, on 02/11/2008, -0/+0the caecillian deliver their babies by caesarian. try saying that 8x in a row.
  • leerayIG88, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1Aahh, my penis!!!
  • AllLitUp, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1Yikes
  • ila002, on 02/11/2008, -0/+1Awww that is so cute
  • digidevil, on 02/12/2008, -0/+0so will the cannibals come out and say, it's ok to eat eachother, it happens in nature too. go on oprah. dismember and eat her. this could be bad.
  • JMZen, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1That's cool, but I really wish they'd give us more detail. Like: does the mother survive? Is it part of a regular molting process? So many questions...!
  • animalfreak, on 02/13/2008, -0/+0oh joy!!!!!!!!
  •  

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