Page 1 of 1

Unusual behavior of amphibians

PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2017 5:58 pm
by Evgeny Kotelevsky
During my herp trip to Israel I came across something strange that I can't understand. In one of the ponds on Mount Carmel I found Hyla savignyi in amplexus with Salamandra infraimmaculata. I've never seen anything like this before and I can't understand why it happened. Salamanders have poison glands along the back and I doubt that H. savignyi is immune to salamanders' poison. Can anybody explain this unusual behavior of amphibians?

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Image

Re: Unusual behavior of amphibians

PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2017 6:14 pm
by Berislav Horvatic
Well, once I saw a Rana arvalis male "attacking" a Salamandra salamandra in the same way...
But the "crazy" blue males of Rana arvalis, in their mating frenzy, would just grab ANYTHING...
poisonous or not, dead or alive, whatever it costs...

Re: Unusual behavior of amphibians

PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2017 6:24 pm
by Berislav Horvatic
Regarding "dead or alive", just have a look at this (rather disgusting) scene:

Be6430_RED.jpg

Re: Unusual behavior of amphibians

PostPosted: Mon Mar 27, 2017 6:49 pm
by Evgeny Kotelevsky
Berislav Horvatic wrote:Well, once I saw a Rana arvalis male "attacking" a Salamandra salamandra in the same way...
But the "crazy" blue males of Rana arvalis, in their mating frenzy, would just grab ANYTHING...
poisonous or not, dead or alive, whatever it costs...


Thanks! :)

Re: Unusual behavior of amphibians

PostPosted: Sat Apr 01, 2017 1:55 pm
by Berislav Horvatic
Never mind the "unusual" behavior of amphibians, they're a really crazy lot... But I forgot to tell you
one important thing: that your photos are superb.