One eerie night on Kooragang Island, north of Sydney, Australia, ecologist John Gould was startled by the high-pitched shrieks echoing in the darkness. This chilling sound led him to a pond where a shocking scene unfolded before his eyes.
In his research on the declining population of green and golden bell frogs, Dr. Gould witnessed a female frog engaged in a gruesome act of cannibalism. The female, much larger in size, was devouring the hind leg of a male frog while slowly dragging him into a hole.
“The male frog fought desperately to avoid this fate,” Dr. Gould recounted, emphasizing the disturbing nature of the encounter.
This incident marked the first recorded instance of adult cannibalism in this species, sparking Dr. Gould’s curiosity to delve deeper into this macabre behavior. He theorizes that when a female green and golden bell frog is dissatisfied with a male’s mating call, she may resort to turning him into a meal.
According to Dr. Gould, female frogs possess keen hearing that enables them to discern the quality of a potential mate’s vocalizations. This heightened sensitivity may lead them to view unsuitable partners as prey, positioning them as formidable predators in the amphibian realm.
While cannibalism is not uncommon among amphibians, it typically involves younger individuals consuming their own kind for survival advantages. Tadpoles of various species, for instance, may cannibalize smaller tadpoles as a means of gaining an edge in their competitive environment.
