Female-female Amplexus and Extremely Female-skewed Operational Sex Ratio in the Toad Duttaphrynus cyphosus During Breeding Seasons
Abstract
We report four cases of female–female amplexus in Duttaphrynus cyphosus observed over a five-year period (2019–2025) in Xiaayu Town, Chayu County, Tibet, China. The phenomenon occurred under conditions of an extremely female-biased operational sex ratio (OSR, 15–20 females per male), largely caused by local harvesting of males for consumption and trade. While female–female amplexus was rare compared to typical male–female pairs, its occurrence under such skewed demographic conditions suggests a potential link between sex ratio imbalance and atypical reproductive behaviors. These findings contribute to the limited literature on same-sex amplexus in amphibians.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Amphibian and Reptile Biology
Animal Behavior and Reproduction
Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Asian Herpetological Research
- Publisher
- China Science Publishing & Media Ltd.
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 45–46
- Publication date
- 27 February 2026
- Language
- EN