# Umbilical cord in animals

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/umbilical-cord-in-animals/195672>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 17, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/umbilical-cord-in-animals/195672 "2003-08-17T00:11:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mavendus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aca169/32.png) [@mavendus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mavendus)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/umbilical-cord-in-animals/195672/1 "2003-08-17T00:11:45Z")

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Hello,

I’ve wanted to ask this question for a long time. Do animals (maybe specifically mammals) have umbilical cords? If yes, then who cuts them during animal-birth?

## Maximus

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**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/umbilical-cord-in-animals/195672/2 "2003-08-17T00:21:58Z")

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I think all mammals have them, except perhps ones like kangaroos where the baby spends most of the gestation outside the womb.

The umbilical cord is attached to the placenta, which comes out after the baby. In some species the mother eats it after the birth.

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**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/umbilical-cord-in-animals/195672/3 "2003-08-17T01:15:15Z")

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Placental mammals – Infraclass Eutheria, excluding marsupials and monotremes – have umbilicals. They normally wither, dry, and fall off. Ever seen a newborn kitten?