It has long been assumed that while some reptiles are capable of secreting venom from their mouth, such is not the case with amphibians. According to a new study, however, there is at least one member of the latter group that may have a lethal nip.

Found in tropical parts of Africa, Asia and the Americas, caecilians are rather unusual animals – although they are amphibians, they look more like snakes or big earthworms.

One specific type, the ringed caecilian (Siphonops annulatus), was already known to secrete a toxin through glands in the skin of its tail. This is presumably a defensive measure, meant to discourage predators from following it into the burrows in which it lives.

Now, though, Brazilian and American scientists have discovered that the ringed caecilian also has tiny fluid-filled glands in its upper and lower jaws. Long ducts run from each of these glands to the base of each of the animal’s teeth.

https://newatlas.com/biology/caecilian-venomous-bite/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siphonops_annulatus

Nestlings are equipped with 44 spoon-shaped teeth to feed on the outer layer of their mother’s skin. Young feed all at once for some seven minutes; then they all rest for three days as the female grows a new outer skin layer. This phenomenon is known as maternal dermatophagy. This practice and morphological similarities are shared with its African relative Boulengerula taitana, suggesting it evolved over 100 million years ago

transition said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siphonops_annulatus

Nestlings are equipped with 44 spoon-shaped teeth to feed on the outer layer of their mother’s skin. Young feed all at once for some seven minutes; then they all rest for three days as the female grows a new outer skin layer. This phenomenon is known as maternal dermatophagy. This practice and morphological similarities are shared with its African relative Boulengerula taitana, suggesting it evolved over 100 million years ago

It is a strange one alright.

PermeateFree said:

transition said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siphonops_annulatus

Nestlings are equipped with 44 spoon-shaped teeth to feed on the outer layer of their mother’s skin. Young feed all at once for some seven minutes; then they all rest for three days as the female grows a new outer skin layer. This phenomenon is known as maternal dermatophagy. This practice and morphological similarities are shared with its African relative Boulengerula taitana, suggesting it evolved over 100 million years ago

It is a strange one alright.

Yes unusual direction for evolution to take.

PermeateFree said:

It has long been assumed that while some reptiles are capable of secreting venom from their mouth, such is not the case with amphibians. According to a new study, however, there is at least one member of the latter group that may have a lethal nip.

Found in tropical parts of Africa, Asia and the Americas, caecilians are rather unusual animals – although they are amphibians, they look more like snakes or big earthworms.

One specific type, the ringed caecilian (Siphonops annulatus), was already known to secrete a toxin through glands in the skin of its tail. This is presumably a defensive measure, meant to discourage predators from following it into the burrows in which it lives.

Now, though, Brazilian and American scientists have discovered that the ringed caecilian also has tiny fluid-filled glands in its upper and lower jaws. Long ducts run from each of these glands to the base of each of the animal’s teeth.

https://newatlas.com/biology/caecilian-venomous-bite/

> the ringed caecilian, was already known to secrete a toxin through glands in the skin of its tail. This is presumably a defensive measure, meant to discourage predators from following it into the burrows in which it lives. Now, though, the ringed caecilian also has tiny fluid-filled glands in its upper and lower jaws. Long ducts run from each of these glands to the base of each of the animal’s teeth.

Oh, I thought it was already known that some caecilians have a poisonous bite.