It clasps onto the female with its front legs and can kick other males away with its back legs. Sometimes they'll cling onto the female until they die of starvation.
'The amphibians are in danger of extinction due to habitat loss. Many other species of harlequin toad across Latin America have already disappeared.'
The females are, relatively, rare:
'Males outnumber females three to one, so once a male sights a rare female, he attracts her with his mating call, hops onto her back, slips his front legs around her underbelly and clings on for dear life.'
Some males are desperate. The Santa Marta harlequin toad can cling to a female for up to five months, just to mate. Sound like anyone you know?
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2315689-male-toad-clings-to-female-for-5-months-waiting-for-chance-to-mate/
It clasps onto the female with its front legs and can kick other males away with its back legs. Sometimes they'll cling onto the female until they die of starvation.
'The amphibians are in danger of extinction due to habitat loss. Many other species of harlequin toad across Latin America have already disappeared.'
The females are, relatively, rare:
'Males outnumber females three to one, so once a male sights a rare female, he attracts her with his mating call, hops onto her back, slips his front legs around her underbelly and clings on for dear life.'