Female mate avoidance behaviors in the European common frog
We posted recently about "misdirected amplexus," which is the phenomenon of male frogs attempting to mate with inappropriate objects (different species, fish, inanimate objects, etc.).
Turns out that the weird frog sex behaviors don't end there. Male frogs, in their excitement, will occasionally form "mating balls" — "several male frogs cling to a single female – often killing her in the process."
Some German researchers have now found that female frogs, in turn, have developed defense strategies to protect themselves from over-excited males. They rotate to try to escape the male's grasp; they emit "release calls"; and if those strategies fail to work, they play dead:
More info: "Drop dead! Female mate avoidance in an explosively breeding frog" – technologynetworks.com
(Thanks to Gerald Sacks)
Turns out that the weird frog sex behaviors don't end there. Male frogs, in their excitement, will occasionally form "mating balls" — "several male frogs cling to a single female – often killing her in the process."
Some German researchers have now found that female frogs, in turn, have developed defense strategies to protect themselves from over-excited males. They rotate to try to escape the male's grasp; they emit "release calls"; and if those strategies fail to work, they play dead:
to protect themselves against swarms of sexually aroused male frogs, the female frogs stiffly extend their arms and legs away from the body, keeping incredibly still until the male releases them from its grasp.
More info: "Drop dead! Female mate avoidance in an explosively breeding frog" – technologynetworks.com
(Thanks to Gerald Sacks)
Comments
And this is different from humans how ?
Posted by F.U.D in Stockholm on 10/13/23 at 10:35 AM
It's extremely depressing to learn that frogs, like humans, know gang-rape.
Posted by Yudith on 10/13/23 at 11:53 AM
Yudith: you should look up dolphins. And ducks.
Posted by Richard Bos on 10/14/23 at 07:51 AM
Richard, I did. And that's why I hate dolphins. Ducks seem to mainly attack corpses, since their females have a corkscrew-like anti-rape vagina, and they taste delicious, so I like them more.
Posted by Yudith on 10/16/23 at 06:12 AM
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Category: Animals | Nature | Science | Sex