Peter Chinn, a national geographic producer, has captured an incredible view of baby animals in the womb. Chinn and his team used small cameras linked through a system of 4D ultrasound scans to give us a breathtaking look at life in the womb. These images, which range from penguins waiting to hatch to the mighty Lion, provide a fascinating glimpse into the miracle of life.
Don’t get us wrong: baby animals are adorable as well, but the way they appear before their mothers give birth is truly fascinating. Some of them are even cuter before they arrive on Earth. It’s incredible to see how these animals’ lives began before they even arrived in the world.
These Polar Bears Have Already Been Bonded
Out of all the adorable animals in utero, this is by far the cutest, owing to the fact that these baby polar bear siblings are already bonding. It’s incredible to see them all cuddled up like this, fur and all.
Hopefully, they’ll be this close after birth.
Look At These Tiger Shark’s Tiny Teeth!
It’s easy to see how this tiger shark’s developing face will turn him into one of the sea’s scariest and most lethal creatures… And it’s clear that those razor-sharp teeth develop at a young age.
Despite his small size, he can grow to be up to 16 feet tall as an adult.
A Miniature Penguin
It’s difficult to believe that penguins look like this in the egg, complete with black and white feathers. But they’re insanely cute even before they’re born, and they’re so tiny!
It’s difficult to imagine this little guy entering the world and sliding around on the ice one day.
A Cheetah in Fertility
It’s a little insane to see what a cheetah looks like as a fetus, especially since there’s almost no difference between this little guy and a fully grown baby cheetah.
Can we talk about how he already has spots? Absolutely amazing.
Three Baby Bats in a Row
Many people fear bats, but after seeing this adorable photo, it’s difficult to understand why.
Seeing them so small at the start of their lives makes it impossible to believe they could scare anyone… or even become one of Halloween’s eerie icons. They’re adorable!
A Majestic Wolf
Wolves are powerful predators, but this photo shows that they started out just like the rest of us: cuddled up inside our mothers.
He’ll be bigger and stronger than most people one day… and far scarier. But, hey, wolves are beautiful.
Beak of a Baby Bird
This animal is almost unrecognizable in this photograph, but it is a pregnant bird. It’s hard to believe that this is what happens inside an egg before the bird pops out of it!
Take a look at that tiny beak that’s already developing. It’s incredible that he’ll have feathers and be able to fly one day.
This is how a cat appears before birth.
Cats are usually insanely adorable after birth (if you love cats, you’ll agree), but this photo is amazing and precious all at the same time.
Look at how his little tongue sticks out, as if posing for the camera! He appears to already have such a personality.
A Dolphin in Development
Is it just us, or does this little guy appear to be smiling? Because dolphins are so massive in the ocean, it’s incredible to see how tiny this fetus is!
And, surprisingly, it’s easy to tell what kind of animal this is, fins and all.
The Tiniest Elephant
Talk about seeing another massive animal in its tiniest form!
Given that elephants are already massive when they are born and quickly learn to walk, it’s amazing to see how tiny they are before making their grand entrance into the world.
Continue reading to see what a cat looks like before it is born!
A Growing Horse
This is another of those animals that is difficult to identify at first. Is it a calf? Perhaps a zebra? No, neither of those… It’s a horse in its early stages of development.
This tiny guy will be able to ride one day — after he grows a lot more, of course.
The Tiniest Shark
Although dolphins in the womb resemble their post-birth counterparts, sharks are a little different.
This itty bitty shark is still developing, but this is the start of life for one of the most interesting but also one of the most dangerous animals in the ocean. When he’s this small, it’s difficult to believe!
A Young Opossum
This adorable baby will grow up to be an opossum, the small creatures that we all see in our own neighborhoods (hopefully alive, though).
He barely resembles the adult opossum most of us have seen, but this wormy-looking creature will completely transform one day.
A Puppy Before Birth?
If you think puppies are cute after birth, you haven’t seen what they look like in the womb.
This little guy already looks like a fully-formed, adorable baby you can take home from the pound, and he hasn’t even been born yet. Take a look at those paws and tail!
This Snake Isn’t Dangerous
Many people fear snakes, much like bats, but given how tiny this one is before birth, it’s hard to believe they’d frighten people.
He’s very small and appears to be very friendly. If all snakes were this cute even after they were born, perhaps more people would like them.
This adorable squirrel
This squirrel resembles the baby squirrels we’re all used to seeing, but it’s even cuter.
It’s difficult to believe that one day, this little guy will be covered in fur and chasing birds and other squirrels up trees.
This Precious Chimpanzee
If you thought the resemblance between any primate and humans is way too much to comprehend, that becomes even truer when you see what a chimpanzee looks like in the womb.
This tiny chimp is strikingly similar to human fetuses!
Moo! A Cow That Is Already Adorable
Even cows, one of the farm’s largest animals, start out this small.
It’s easy to see his or her features developing, and while this cow has no idea what the world has in store for him, we’d like to think he grew big and strong in the pasture and made lots of cow friends.
Mouse Itty-Bitty
It’s difficult to tell, but this is a mouse embryo. It resembles the mice we know after birth, but at the same time, this embryo could be almost any animal.
It’s fascinating to see how all these animals, big and small, begin their lives.
The Solitary Lizard
This is how a lizard looks before it hatches. Notice how long its tail and appendages are already as if the little guy is just waiting to get out and stretch.
While some lizards lay eggs to bear their offspring, other lizard species give birth to live babies.
How Does This Appear?
You guessed correctly if you guessed a bat! This is a developing bat embryo, and if we’re being completely honest, they resemble some kind of Pokémon at this stage.
Jokes aside, it’s amazing how this will eventually resemble a full-fledged bat with wings!
In The Jungle, The Mighty Jungle…
The lion is sleeping tonight! At the very least, it appears to be sleeping while still in its mother’s womb. This lion cub looks like it is about to be born as you can see it already developed fur and teeny, tiny claws!
What a cutie! You have to wonder if this little guy will mature into the pride male.
Yet another puppy!
This is yet another image of a puppy while still in the womb. Take note of how it is only now beginning to grow fur.
Still, it resembles the newborn puppies we’re all used to seeing and eager to play with!
This Shark Seems Concerned
This shark appears to be nervous as it waits to enter the world. It’s probably getting worried about the ups and downs of shark life and wondering if he’ll be able to handle it.
But once he’s born, we’re sure he’ll be just fine.
This One Will Be Very Big
Do you know why? That’s because this is actually an elephant embryo! Isn’t that wild? This elephant embryo is barely a few centimeters long but by the time it’s born it will already be three feet tall!
After that, it will grow up to be one of the largest animals on Earth!
This Little Piggy
Check out this fetus of a pig! It has already developed its snout and teeny, tiny hooves! Also, is it just us, or do you also think that this pig looks like it’s smiling?
Maybe it’s just too excited to be born and roam the farm!
Slow And Steady
If you guessed that this is a turtle embryo, then you guessed correctly! This is one stage of a turtle embryo’s development while still in its egg.
Imagine all the possibilities it could go through once it finally hatches! Hopefully, it doesn’t get into any competition with any hares…
A Sweet Little Kitten
This is another cat in the womb. Notice how it already began developing follicles on its upper lip for its future whiskers.
The eyes are still sealed shut, so it might be safe to assume that its eyes are still developing at this stage. Once it’s born, it will be able to explore all the world has to offer.
The Stages Of Growth
You’ve already seen a near-fully formed elephant in the womb as well as an elephant embryo.
Here is an elephant in the womb in between both of those stages. It has already developed its trunk, but it is still pretty stubby at this point. It’s crazy to think that most of its major features will already be there at birth.
Another For The Farm
This is what a chicken looks like in the embryonic stage. As you can see, much of its major features are still in development, although there’s evidence of its wings and talons being formed right before our eyes!
Eventually, it will hatch out of its egg as an adorable little chick!
Science Can Take Us To New Heights
If you think this looks pretty disturbing, don’t be too alarmed. This is actually proof of fascinating scientific progress!
This is a premature sheep fetus that was successfully kept alive in an artificial womb. Scientists used a plastic bag to create an environment similar to the womb, using tubes to deliver oxygen and nutrients.
Ready To Hop On Out
This is a kangaroo embryo that looks eager to grow up and out of its mother’s pouch! Pictures like these really emphasize how it seems like life can spring out of nothing and grow into something great.
Animals and humans literally start out as microscopic cells!
As Deep As The Ocean
That doesn’t just apply to animals on land because the same goes for sea creatures that roam the deep blue.
This is the smallest shark embryo we’ve shown you, so now you’ve seen a shark at various stages before birth! Isn’t it crazy to think that some of the most feared animals start out so small?
Prepping To Be A Faithful Companion
Here is another puppy in the womb. This is supposedly a chihuahua puppy and we think it looks like a cross between a bear and a dog.
Regardless, it is incredibly adorable! This one looks like it’s dreaming about running free in the grass, that is, of course if it had a concept of that at this point.
You’ll Never Guess What This Is
Can you guess what this embryo is? Most people would think platypus, but this is actually an embryo of a mole. Cool, right?
Now that we’ve told you what it is you can totally see how this little guy will grow up to be a dirt-dwelling mole. What’s even crazier is that moles only carry for about a month before giving birth!
This Little Guy Will Grow Up To Be Six Feet Tall
Six feet tall?! How is that possible? This is because this is what the embryo of a horse looks like in the very first stages of development.
As you can see, this is only 30 days out. It will take almost a whole year for him to fully develop and be born!
Would You Want This Running Around Your Home?
This might look cute now, but squeamish people beware: this is the embryo of a mouse. While mice are considered cute by some, they’re generally a nuisance to many.
Hopefully, this little one doesn’t grow up to wreak havoc in someone’s home! In 20 days, we will find out.
Your Future Best Friend
We’ve shown you multiple puppies in the womb up until now, but here is a puppy in the early stages of development. It doesn’t look like much now and to be completely honest, we’d say this is almost alien-like!
But rest assured, this one will start to look more like your furry friend in a few months.
Another Future House Pet
You’ve seen the puppy in its early stages, now here is a cat! Like the puppy, the cat looks pretty extraterrestrial as well, but you can obviously see the markings of a cute kitten.
Notice how its tiny tail, mini paws, and ears are beginning to form! It’s equal parts creepy and cute, but all around fascinating.
