How Frogs Mate

When frogs mate, the male frog tends to clasp the female underneath in an embrace called amplexus.
He literally climbs on her back, reaches his arms around her "waist", either just in front of the hind legs, just behind the front legs, or even around the head. Amplexus can last several days! Usually, it occurs in the water, though some species, like the bufos toads will mate on land or even in trees! While in some cases, a complicated courting behavior occurs before mating, many species of frogs are known for attempting to mate with anything that moves!

Check out the above video to see some examples of mating frogs! 

Cite this Page: Stenstrom, J. 2008. "How Frogs Mate" (OnLine) UntamedScience. Accessed Feb 09, 2012 at http://www.untamedscience.com/biodiversity/article/how-frogs-mate
Stenstrom, J.
Gothenburg University/James Cook University
Created on: Nov 11th, 2008
Last updated: Jun 7th, 2011