Cannibalism Has Been Observed Among Green And Golden Bell Frogs In Australia For The First Time, With A Female Frog Eating A Male Suitor During The Mating Process
Cannibalism in animals is more common than you think. In fact, more than 1,500 species have been recorded feeding on their own kind. The reasons behind such gruesome behavior vary, but there is usually an evolutionary purpose to it.
Scientists on Kooragang Island in New South Wales, Australia, have observed cannibalism in green and golden bell frogs (Litoria aurea) for the first time.
During the breeding season, adult female green and golden bell frogs prey on their male counterparts when they are displeased with the males’ mating calls.
The researchers were made aware of this behavior after hearing a high-pitched squeal while they were surveying the field. John Gould, the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Newcastle, Australia, followed the squeals and discovered that they were coming from a male frog in the middle of being eaten by a larger female.
The male frog’s thigh was trapped in the mouth of the female. She was dragging him into a hole situated on the bank of a pond.
“The male frog really did try to stop this from occurring, so it was grabbing onto anything around it, like sticks in the ground, to stop itself from being dragged in,” said Gould.
Eventually, the male managed to escape. After that incident, Gould and his colleagues were inspired to compare their observations over the course of three consecutive breeding seasons with other studies that reported cases of cannibalism between mates.
Cannibalism among amphibians is well-known, but most documented cases involved tadpoles eating each other or adults gobbling up juveniles that surfaced from the water. Amphibian cannibalism typically takes place when large numbers of animals are gathered in the same area or when there are obvious size differences between predators and prey.
In many species of frogs, adult females are bigger than males. They have the ability to exploit their male counterparts. So, when breeding season comes around, a potential mate can become a meal instead.
Ken Griffiths – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual frog
The researchers think this cannibalism emerged as a process of natural selection. The quality of a male’s mating call is what determines whether he will be a potential mate or prey.
To the female frogs, larger males with deeper calls are viewed as better breeding partners, and the smaller males as snacks.
However, larger males may not be entirely safe from predation either. Once females have dumped out all their eggs, they might eat their mates.
“It’s risky for male frogs out there. They’re calling their little hearts out to find a mate, but they just have to take on this extra risk of maybe being used as prey,” said Gould.
More research is needed to investigate how frequently these cannibalistic events occur and how they impact green and golden bell frog populations.
The study was published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.
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