Every other Friday, the Outside/In team here at NHPR answers listener questions about the natural world. Today's question comes from Andy, calling from Dover, New Hampshire. Alejandro Vélez: That is a ...

When you think of an animal playing dead, especially in North America, you probably picture the Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana), commonly known in the region simply as a possum. It’s such an ...

Playing dead isn't the ultimate ghosting technique. Frogs use "tonic immobility" as a strategy to stay alive during mating ...

Female frogs aren't hopping to mate with every interested male frog, scientists have found. Instead, they are faking their deaths to escape unwanted attention. Female European common frogs were ...

Some frog and toad species are explosive breeders. This means they have short reproductive periods, requiring them to gather in large numbers to mate. Hundreds, possibly even thousands, of animals ...

Grab fast and hang on for hours. A fierce grip is all the courtship finesse a male frog needs in species that reproduce in frenzied mobs. Female European common frogs, however, have at least three ...

The Virginia Opossum (Didelphis virginiana) is well known for its ability to play dead when under threat from a predator. It's such an iconic scene that anyone or anything feigning death can be said ...

Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. To avoid the amphibian pile-up that often comes with mating, some ...

Male frogs commonly coerce female frogs into mating, but some females have come up with ways to avoid harassment – including playing dead. Many frog species, including the European common frog (Rana ...

(Gray News) - Researchers say some female frogs may fake their own deaths to avoid unwanted male advances. According to a study published in the Royal Society, researchers found that some female ...

In some species of frogs, the females play dead to avoid mating with aggressive males. Dr. Carolin Dittrich, behavior ecologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, tells us more. Ever ...