Multiple mating and oviposition behavior of Proceratophrys goyana (Anura: Odontophrynidae) in the Brazilian Cerrado

Abstract

Polyandry occurs when a female mate, sequentially or simultaneously, with more than one male. Even though this reproductive strategy has been widely studied for some taxa, reports on amphibians are still scarce. Herein, we report amplexus, egg-laying, aggregative behavior and a case of multiple mating in the frog Proceratophrys goyana. Coupling occurs outside water and females, that are noticeably larger than males, move to streams where eggs are released at the stream bottom. Multiple mating was observed in a large chorus context, but males’ aggregations seem to be uncommon in the species. Multiple spawning in Neotropical frogs occurs in several lineages and it seems to be related to the behavioral context.