toadschooled: It’s relatively common knowledge that frogs reproduce externally, with females l
toadschooled: It’s relatively common knowledge that frogs reproduce externally, with females laying eggs that the male then fertilizes. However, you may be surprised to learn that the male fertilizes the eggs with his pee. When it is time to breed, male frogs deposit sperm into their urine. This mix is then released over the unfertilized eggs. Because of this, it is very easy for biologists to fertilize eggs in laboratory settings without pairing together individual toads. The male is first given a hormone injection for sperm production. Later, he is gently squeezed over a petri dish- and, as anyone who’s ever handled a toad will tell you, it doesn’t take much to get them to pee! The specimen shown is a Fowler’s toad [Anaxyrus fowleri]. Image source here. -- source link