Amplexus

Amplexus

Amplexus (Latin "embrace") is a form of pseudocopulation in which a male frog grasps a female with his front legs while she lays her eggs. At the same time, he fertilizes them with the fluid containing sperm.

This mostly happens in the water, but some more terrestrial anurans like the disc-tongued frogs (Discoglossidae) perform amplexus on land. In more advanced anurans like the true frogs (Ranidae), the tree frogs (Hylidae) and the true toads (Bufonidae) the amplexus is axillary (in the armpits), while in less derived anurans (the Archaeobatrachia) and frogs in the Myobatrachidae family it is lumbar (abdominal, in front of the hindlegs). The Sooglossidae show inguinal amplexus where the male holds the female at the waist just anterior to her hind legs. Some species show cephalic amplexus where the head of the female is held while others show complete lack of amplexus.

In most anurans the males deposit sperm onto the eggs as they are being laid, however males of the genus "Ascaphus" possess an intromittent organ, unique among anurans, for internal fertilization. Internal fertilization does occur in a few other genera, including "Nectophrynoides", "Mertensophryne", and "Eleutherodactylus". [Duellman, W. E. and L. Trueb. 1986. Biology of Amphibians. NewYork: McGraw-Hill Publishing Company.] [Linzey, D. 2001. Vertebrate Biology, McGraw Hill Publishers, New York.]

References


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  • Amplexus — axillaris bei Mittelmeer Erdkröten (Bufo bufo spinosus) …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Amplexus — du crapaud commun (Bufo bufo) L amplexus est le nom donné à la technique d accouplement des anoures (grenouilles et crapauds). Le mâle monte sur le dos de la femelle et s accroche à elle avec ses pattes. On distingue deux grands ty …   Wikipédia en Français

  • amplexus — [am plek′səs] n. pl. amplexus the mating clasp of the male frog or toad: he clings to the back of the female and fertilizes her eggs as she ejects them into the water …   English World dictionary

  • amplexus — amˈpleksəs noun (plural amplexus “) Etymology: Latin, literally, embrace, from amplexus, past participle of amplecti : the mating embrace of the frog or toad during which eggs are shed into the water and there fertilized …   Useful english dictionary

  • amplexus — /am plek seuhs/, n., pl. amplexuses, amplexus. the clasping posture of fertilization in frogs and toads. [1925 30; < NL, L: embrace, equiv. to amplect(i) to embrace (am , var. of ambi AMBI + plecti, deponent of plectere to plait, twine; cf.… …   Universalium

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  • amplexus — noun Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, embrace, from amplecti to embrace, from am , amb around + plectere to braid more at ambi , ply Date: circa 1927 the mating embrace of a frog or toad during which eggs are shed into the water and there… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • amplexus — The pairing of male and female at the time that eggs and sperm are discharged simultaneously in those species, such as frogs, in which fertilization occurs externally. [L. an embrace, fr. amplector, pp. plexus, to wind around] * * * am·plex·us am …   Medical dictionary

  • amplexus — n. fertilization mating position of frogs or toads …   English contemporary dictionary

  • amplexus — [am plɛksəs] noun Zoology the mating position of frogs and toads, in which the male clasps the female about the back. Origin 1930s: from L., an embrace …   English new terms dictionary

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