The 'tonic immobility' behavior was observed in European common frogs.
Female frogs aren't hopping to mate with every interested male frog, scientists have found. Instead, they are faking their deaths to escape unwanted attention.
European common frogs engage in an "explosive" breeding season, a short season in which males fiercely compete for access to females, which results in scrambling and fighting. Males also may harass, coerce or intimidate females into mating, according to the study.Amid the chaos, female frogs are at risk of getting trapped in "mating balls," in which several males cling to them to vie for their attention, which could lead to their death, Dittrich said.
Female European common frogs do not have many opportunities to increase their fitness because they reproduce once a season, which is what likely led to the evolution of the avoidant behavior instead, Dittrich said.The researchers observed female European common frogs stretching their arms and legs straight from the body, in a way that could appear similar to rigor mortis, Dittrich said.
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