Egg tooth

An egg tooth is a temporary, sharp projection present on the bill or snout of an oviparous animal at hatching. It allows the hatchling to penetrate the eggshell from inside and break free. Birds, reptiles, and monotremes possess egg teeth as hatchlings. Similar structures exist in eleutherodactyl frogs (the group known to bypass the tadpole stage), several groups of insects (the structure known as egg burster) and spiders.

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