Amplexus (Latin "embrace") is a process 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) do it 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 lumbal (abdominal, in front of the hindlegs).

Ethology | Frogs

Amplexus | Amplexo | Amplexus | Amplexus | Ampleksus