Mike Burr - log

[bio] Is there such a critter.

We know that nature's mothers sometimes do seemingly nonsensical things. Like, die immediately and let her babies eat her. A mother might inject her babies into a paralyzed tarantula for them to feed on (at great risk to mother).

Is there an animal that has its babies eat it from the inside out? Skip the whole birth then die thing, just let the babies start munching away, and mom try to keep up with the hunting and grazing and eating for as long as she can, until the babies start eating important stuff (which they know to eat last).

This seems like it would be a super efficient thing to do, especially if you're the birth-die-be-eaten type.

Does it exist?

If not, why not?