Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Lip frog males are reported to contain pheromones which are thought to function to attract female frogs. This is shown by a recent study on frog species of the genus Plectrohyla.
Research published in the journal Froniers in Zoology describes a more direct approach by this type of frog.
Males of this species engage in what is called ‘traumatic mating’ to increase their chances of reproductive success, using special teeth to effectively scrape their pheromones onto the female.
Apparently, this kind of thing is not uncommon among amphibians.
“Traumatic mating can be observed in many animal species,” said study lead author Lisa M Schulte. IFLScience.
“Many frog species pierce females with spines on their thumbs during amplexus. This possibility is used to carry out pheromone transfer,” he added.
Ampleksus is a term used to describe the sex positions of frogs and toads during mating. In this position the male is seen holding the female from behind.
Later in this study of frogs, the researchers investigated whether the elongated teeth and swollen lips of male Plectrohyla frogs were also used to transfer pheromones during traumatic mating.
While making observations, the researchers revealed that the males use their large lips to push the female’s back during amplexus.
This leaves small scratches behind which are produced by the frog’s special teeth.
Examples from the frogs reveal that they contain specialized mucus glands that look similar to the parts of amphibians that secrete pheromones.
Furthermore, their research objectives were confirmed by ‘sequencing’ the entire transcriptome showing factor proteins such as the precursor of sodefrine, a pheromone known to be present in amphibians.
However, pheromones are associated with many different behaviors (such as locust swarms). There is currently insufficient evidence as to what exactly is the purpose of this ‘love bite’ pheromone in frogs.
According to Schulte, it is possible that these pheromones can speed up the time of laying eggs for females.
But what makes this study stand out is the species’ unique approach.
“We have previously found that some frog species have glands that contain potential pheromones,” said Schulte.
“However, all of these species appear to transfer these molecules to the female nose. The most interesting result of this study is that there appears to be a different pathway, by which pheromones are transferred. [melalui kulit],” he added.
Furthermore, the researchers expressed their hope of gaining a better understanding of the effects of male pheromones on females during breeding among frogs and toads.
(lnn / fjr)
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