They pretend they’re dead and use a variety of other tactics to avoid the advances of overeager males, proving they’re not defenseless and passive. By Elizabeth Preston Some male frogs cannot take a ...

When it comes to animals romancing in the wild, things get weird—really weird. Some animals offer bizarre gifts, some put on daring dances, and others? Well, let’s just say things get really messy.

Male frogs commonly coerce female frogs into mating, but some females have come up with ways to avoid harassment – including playing dead. Many frog species, including the European common frog (Rana ...

Grab fast and hang on for hours. A fierce grip is all the courtship finesse a male frog needs in species that reproduce in frenzied mobs. Female European common frogs, however, have at least three ...

In some species of frogs, the females play dead to avoid mating with aggressive males. Dr. Carolin Dittrich, behavior ecologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, tells us more. Ever ...

When you think of an animal playing dead, especially in North America, you probably picture the Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana), commonly known in the region simply as a possum. It’s such an ...