Mate assortment in the common toad (Bufo bufo)

Gittins, S. P., Parker, A. G. and Slater, Frederick Maurice 1980. Mate assortment in the common toad (Bufo bufo). Journal of Natural History 14 (5) , pp. 663-668. 10.1080/00222938000770561

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Abstract

The results of observations and experiments on mate assortment in the common toad (Bufo bufo) from a large population at a lake in mid-Wales are compared with published results of similar work on a smaller population near Oxford. From the male length frequency in the population it is shown that success at achieving matings increases with increasing male size but if small males mate it is always with small females. Seventy-one per cent of females arrived at the lake in amplexus. The mean size of males in amplexus is greater than the mean size of the male population due to the ability of larger males to displace smaller males already in amplexus. Davies and Halliday (1977) found no significant correlation between male and female lengths in amplexus before spawning although this correlation was significant at spawning which is the reverse of the situation found in this investigation possibly due to more male-male competition in the larger mid-Wales population. It is significant that male-male competition will mitigate against the choice of female partners by males but females may exercise some choice by delaying spawning until a suitable sized male is in amplexus.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Biosciences
Subjects:	Q Science > QH Natural history
Publisher:	Taylor and Francis
ISSN:	0022-2933
Last Modified:	04 Jun 2017 05:16
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/50230

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