Wood Frogs Attack Tiger Salamander

A group of male wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) clinging to a male tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum).

Male wood frogs gather together in large leks to mate. In these leks, the males wrestle and "cluck" at one another as they attempt to mate with incoming female wood frogs. When female wood frogs enter the lek, multiple males will grab the females, clinging to her until one male wins out. Sometimes the male wood frogs are in such a mating frenzy that they will grab other amphibians and cling to them like they would to a female wood frog. In the video here, a male tiger salamander has come too close to the wood frog lek, and has been grabbed by several males.

http://www.mister-toad.com/photos/salamander/salamanderphotos.html

http://www.mister-toad.com/photos/frog/frogphotos.html

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Ambystoma
• tigrinum
• Rana
• sylvatica
• Lithobates
• sylvaticus
• mating
• lek
• thug
• attack
• assult
• reproduction
• breeding
• mistake
• confusion
• male
• competition
• ethology
• behavior
• behaviour
• amphibian
• herpetology

[87vong]

are they tearing it apart? i would have helped that salamander and keep it..are they abundant over there?

[mfb99]

@87vong

the salamanders are better off remaining a part of the natural population.

[mfb99]

Yes, this was mating season.

[climid]

this is called "amplexus" its when a male clings to a female frog or anything else it takes to be a frog.

[CMFKMOB]

was it mating season ? maybe they mistook him for a female frog

[blacsmiff]

Wow I think you spared his life!!! Nice Vid!!!!!!!!