Echidna mothers change their pouch microbiome to protect tiny ‘pink jelly bean’ puggles, new research finds | Environment

When the mothers of the young echidna, known as Puggles, change, the microbium of their bag changes to protect their children in the first weeks of their lives.

These first few weeks are crucial for Bougalez. At this early development stage, it is small-the size of a 5-cents metal currency.

“They cannot see it and have no functional immunity system,” said Isabella Wilson, author of the study published in the study. FEMS microbiology.

Echidnas lay its eggs in a temporary bag, which they create by contracting the abdominal muscles. After about 10 days, Puggles hatch from their eggs, “Bink Jelly Beans Little Pink”.

During breastfeeding, the probiotics bacteria in the Echidna bag, which the University of Adelaide researchers suggested to provide protection for the bulls and developing immune systems.

Wilson said that reproductive biology in Echidna is unique in many respects.

monotremes Echidnas and PlatyPus shares a lot of “strange features”. As well as laying eggs, they lack the nipples. So, instead of breastfeeding, rubgles rub its beaks on a portion of the false shin called milk, causing milk out of the mother’s skin.

This milk, which is sometimes pink, barely has any lactose compared to most other animals.

“Young people are hanging over there [in the pseudo-pouch] “For a few months, drink a lot of milk,” Wilson said.

“Then, when they start cultivating the spine, they leave the bag to the nursery hole – where they continue to feed my mother for 200 days.”

Echidna is only temporary – it is present while pugle inside. Echidna Echidna goalkeeper, Echidna goalkeeper, who did not participate in the research, agreed to the appearance of Pugles in general there for six to seven weeks, until their thorns became “very thorny” for the mother.

He said that Edenas was curious animals that invested a lot of time to raise their young.

When they come out of their eggs the size of the grapes, Pugsles is not super, blind, and “basically they should not be born yet”, which is why they need “additional development time” in the bag.

The paper explains that the reproductive microbium, “which includes vaginal organisms, milk and breasts, is increasingly recognized for its contributions to infant health.” In monotremes and Marsupias, this extends to the bag.

The researchers analyzed the bacteria on the swabs of both captive animals in the Taronga Zoo and the wild on the Kangarian island. They found that the microbium in the bag was subjected to major changes during breastfeeding, with an increase in lactic acid bacteria usually believed to be probiotics.

They did not find any big difference between the microbium of animals run by the zoo and wild animals. Wilson said this indicates that milk, instead of any external factors, is the primary element that constitutes the environment of the bag.