Australia's New South Wales is home to the unique Kuragang Island, where green and gold bell frogs are found. Both males and females reside here. Scientists observed a female frog consuming her male partner, leaving them astonished. They studied the whole process and published their findings in the
journal.
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Just before consuming him, the female frog mated happily with the male. The male was calling out loudly for more, croaking intensely. After a while, it seemed that the female grew extremely irritated. She grabbed the male from behind and swallowed him whole.
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Larger Female Frogs Eat Smaller Males
Typically, in this species, the females are larger and heavier. Males are smaller and lean. Scientists noticed these frogs because of the loud calls of the males on Kuragang Island. John Good, a researcher in population ecology at the University of Newcastle, mentioned that such an occurrence had never been witnessed before—a female frog eating the male post-mating.
Source: aajtak
Scientists Arrived Upon Hearing the Male’s Cry
John and his team were drawn near by the male frog's painful cry, only to find the large female frog had almost swallowed half of the male's body. The female frog had pulled the male from a burrow in the pond and clamped him in her mouth because the male was calling out from within the burrow for another round of mating. Somehow, the male managed to escape from her mouth and fled quickly.
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Source: aajtak
Extended Breeding Season Increased Mating Demands
Following this discovery, John and his team explored more frogs in the area and studied the environment in detail. They found that the breeding season had extended through three consecutive periods, leading to a higher demand for mating from males. However, the irritation drove the female frogs to start consuming their persistent male partners.
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Source: aajtak
Scientists Named This Behavior ‘Sexual Cannibalism’
John described this behavior as Sexual Cannibalism. Cannibalism is common among amphibians, where adult males sometimes eat smaller young ones like tadpoles. But a female eating a male is unprecedented. This often occurs in overcrowded environments, where tadpole cannibalism is also observed.
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Beneficial Aspects for Females Discovered...
Scientists noted that if a female frog chooses a mate and reproduces, but then finds the male excessively troublesome, she may consume him. This provides the female with essential nutrients during the post-breeding period, aiding her body’s needs. This is a natural selection process where female frogs choose based on the male's call who to mate with and who to consume.
