Beware Of Male Poison Frogs! After They Claim Territory, They CANNIBALIZE, Find Out How & Why Here

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Frogs could be thought of amphibians that aren’t harmful. Yet a certain kind of frogs could harm their kind due to circumstances, the male poison frog. It was found out that after male poison frogs conquer other frogs’ territory, they cannibalize the previous territory owners and their offspring.

According to Daily Mail, male poison frogs or known as Allobates femoralis are frogs that are fathers that are attentive and committed to their clutches. Yet another side of them had been exposed which is eating offspring of their kinds.

It was then found out that male father frogs cannibalize other clutches when they claim another territory to minimize responsibility. Responsibility in terms of caring for clutches that aren’t their own. Meanwhile, it was also said that cannibalism is eminent in other animal kingdoms as well. Another reason for other species’ eating offspring that aren’t their own is sexually motivated reasons and hunger.

Science Daily then noted that the study conducted by University of Veterinary Medicine showed that male poison frogs still take care over clutches in their territory. Even though they had not fertilized a single clutch of their own in the previous weeks. It was then identified that succeeding over conquering another territory triggers them to cannibalize other clutches.

Furthermore, the study had two groups of male frogs separated. The first group was called the “take over” wherein when transferred into another territory, they started cannibalizing unrelated offspring. Meanwhile, those who remained in their own territory took care of all clutches regardless if it is not their own.

"We have seen in poison frogs that a simple trigger is sufficient to switch from very destructive actions to parental care” said Eva Ringler lead author of the study and researcher at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna.

It was then the times of Middle Ages was remembered in the case that knights kill off every child in the kingdom so that they would be certain that the next generation would just be their own kind. Yet similar but differs in terms that there are no cannibalized humans those times.

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