Hongzhou Chen, Jinyu Xia, Tuo Li, B. Dayananda, Wei Chen
2026.1.1Asian Herpetological Research
Abstract
We report four cases of female–female amplexus in Duttaphrynus cyphosus observed over a five-year period (2019–2025) in Xiaayu Town, Chayu County, Tibet, China. The phenomenon occurred under conditions of an extremely female-biased operational sex ratio (OSR, 15–20 females per male), largely caused by local harvesting of males for consumption and trade. While female–female amplexus was rare compared to typical male–female pairs, its occurrence under such skewed demographic conditions suggests a potential link between sex ratio imbalance and atypical reproductive behaviors. These findings contribute to the limited literature on same-sex amplexus in amphibians.
Citation format
CHEN, Hongzhou, et al. Extremely female-skewed operational sex ratio during the reproductive season and observations of female–female amplexus in duttaphrynus cyphosus. Asian Herpetological Research, 2026, 17(1): 45–46.