Scientists Discover Female Frogs' Hilarious Strategy for Avoiding Unwanted Male Attention
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After Taylor Swift's 'Eras' tour, the premiere of Barbie, and what became the 'Summer of Girlhood,' women around the world are feeling a little more united. It's safe to say that we learned a little bit more about the Girl Code this year! From writing supportive comments online to supporting their exes' exes, ladies are learning that there's no wrong way to uplift one another.
This is partly because we all know how many extra challenges women face in the world, including unwanted advances from some men. As it turns out, though, human women aren't the only ones who experience this!
Scientists recently discovered that female frogs commonly fake their deaths to avoid unsolicited attention, and this finding is gaining popularity for all the right reasons. It's a unique animal behavior to be sure, but I'd also be lying if I said it wasn't kind of hilarious, too!
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You go, girls! It's a shame that it's even come to this for frogs (and for people), but clearly, this behavior is effective. A study in the Royal Society Open Science journal explains that "increased efforts by males …could even negatively affect female survival and thus lead to reproductive failure for both individuals."
These wild frogs are not simply refusing to mate, but they are using survival instincts in situations when they know they are unsafe. It's most commonly seen during 'mating balls,' notes NBC San Diego, when multiple males grab onto and hold down a female (often resulting in her death). Instead of allowing invasive frogs to get what they want, females are learning how to avoid unwanted advances by faking their own deaths.
So far, this strange female behavior has only been discovered in a few interesting animal species, but it certainly is a fascinating find. Many animals have their own avoidance strategies, but it's easy to understand why this is one for the books. Imagine if people started doing this!
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