Scarlett, do animals have bellybuttons? - question and answer

Hey, kids! Scarlett Fox here, having a terrific time answering your questions. You keep reminding me that there are so many wonders in the world to wonder about. . . .

Scarlett, do animals have bellybuttons?

Beth Bass; Rocky Mount, NC

Some animals do and some animals don't. But those that do all belong to one group: Mammals.

Why? When a baby mammal grows inside its mother, an umbilical (um-BIL-i-kul) cord connects the two. (The unborn baby gets its food and oxygen through this cord.) After the baby is born, its mother usually chews the cord off, or it breaks off on its own. When the leftover stub on the baby's belly dries up and falls off, a scar is left. That's the bellybutton.

Some large apes and cats may have easy-to-see bellybuttons. And I once saw a sloth with its bellybutton poking out. I can see mine when I push my fur aside.

GOT A QUESTION?

Is there something in nature that puzzles you? If you can't find the answer, then write to me, Scarlett Fox. I'll answer as many questions as I can in the magazine. Don't forget to include your name and address. Write to:

Ask Scarlett, Dept. RR

8925 Leesburg Pike

Vienna, VA 22184

COPYRIGHT 1995 National Wildlife Federation
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