Ecologist John Gould from the University of Newcastle witnessed and documented a rare case of attempted frog adult-on-adult cannibalism, where a large female green and golden bell frog was observed biting down on the hind leg of a male frog, who was struggling to prevent being eaten, on Kooragang Island in Australia.
Adult-on-adult cannibalism is extremely rare in amphibians, with only a few documented cases, as smaller individuals like siblings, eggs or larvae are typically targeted.
Gould believes the declining population of green and golden bell frogs on Kooragang Island may be partly due to female cannibalism, as females can be considered predators for smaller male frogs.
Male frogs risk their lives to reproduce by attempting to attract females with their singing, which can also make them prey if the females dislike their songs. Males and females are not often found together in ponds, possibly because the males fear they will be eaten.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: NYTimes, DunyaNews, WIONews.