Ever wondered what baby animals look like before they're projected out of their mothers' vaginas? Well now you do thanks to National Geographic. So yeah, thanks -- I, uh, think.

Extraordinary Animals In The Womb aired last year, using advances in scanning and imaging technology to trace the gestational paths of animals outside the human family. The documentary footage is actually a combination of digital photography, scans, and computer-generated models. The filmmakers took detailed scans of the animal's wombs, then had the model makers recreate every blood vessel and whisker. The resulting images, while not direct photographs, are, according to the researchers, accurate representations of what goes on inside these creatures' wombs.

Ah, the miracle of life. Reminds me of the time a hippie friend of mine gave birth and then saved the placenta to eat later. Which, HORF HORF HORF HORF HORF. Seriously, you're not a cat, lady. I mean, you ARE a cat lady, just not an actual cat yourself. *meow!* You better cut that shit out.

Hit the jump for several more in utero animals including a penguin, dolphin and several dogs.

Rare In Utero Images Glimpse Animals Inside the Womb [io9]

Thanks to Erin, who would have just wedged a camera up the vagina like the paparazzi do celebrities.