Female frogs pretend to be lifeless to dodge mating
Female European common frogs tend to remain immobile and fake death in order to dissuade prospective mates. Female European common frogs have developed an effective self-defense tactic, pretending to be lifeless to avoid mating. This behavior has been revealed by the Natural History Museum of Berlin in Germany. The tactic is thought to be used to deter potential mates from entering ponds to breed and deposit eggs.
Published : 2 years ago by Mrigakshi Dixit in Science
Spring can sometimes be a difficult season for female European common frogs. After a winter of hibernation, they congregate in ponds to breed and deposit eggs.
Given the large number of males, this may become quite intense at times, resulting in fierce competition among males to grab mating opportunities.
It was often assumed that females possessed little defenses against the males, however, this does not appear to be the case. In fact, they have developed an effective and peculiar self-defense tactic.
Surprisingly, female European common frogs tend to remain immobile and fake death in order to dissuade prospective mates.
This interesting behavioral revelation comes from the Natural History Museum of Berlin in Germany.