Reptiles Magazine
The observation marks the first instance of a toad or frog female mounting a male.
March 16, 2021
University researchers in Hong Kong have discovered that the Lau’s leaf litter toad (
Leptobrachella laui) mates in an unusual way… with the female on top. Most frogs and toads mate with the male on top and from behind, but the Lau’s leaf litter toad is an exception, according to Sung Yik-hei, professor of science at Hong Kong’s Lingnan University (LU) in Hong Kong.
When the Hong Kong native toads were observed, the female mounted the male, which is usually the opposite of how frogs and toads mate. Because frogs and toads fertilize eggs externally, Sung said in a statement. In all known forms of mating of frogs and toads, the male mounts the female and aligns the reproductive organs horizontally.