does it serve a purpose for us to still have them aside from the obvious? i mean after birth. what about for animals *not* having them once they’re born? i was wondering specifically about rats and puppies. i’ve had both as babies and they all had a little black spot for a week or two, then it disappeared for good. when the rats were still pink with no fur i actually saw the black spot dissipate over time within like a week and a half or so
In: Biology
Other warm blooded animals do have belly buttons, they’re just hidden under fur or feathers. Belly buttons are a scar from where the umbilical cord was and in quadrapedal species they are usually a pale, flat, round scar. Sometimes they can have an “outie” too where there is a small raised disk of scar tissue. In bipedal animals like humans innie belly buttons sink into the surrounding abdominal flesh and that’s why they look like that.
Outside of humans you’ll generally hear the belly button be referred to as an umbilicus, but it is the same thing as a belly button.
*Technically* most land animals are probably beetles and ants, which are born from eggs and so they don’t have umbilical chords.
But that’s a stupid answer and pedantic.
The real answer is that among placental mammals, most have a significant amount of body hair and rarely show their bellies except when entirely at ease, so you simply don’t have a chance to find the small scar of their belly button.
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