The Asian Common Toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus), typically brown in color, undergoes a remarkable transformation during monsoon season.
Males of this species turn bright yellow and congregate in hundreds for explosive breeding events.
Researchers from the University of Vienna, Brown University, and Srishti Manipal Institute in Bengaluru studied this phenomenon.
Research revealed that this color change helps avoid same-sex interactions rather than attract females.
Experiments using 3D toad models showed that live males were twice as likely to make physical contact with brown, female-like models. The yellow coloration serves as a clear “stay away, I’m a male” signal to other males.
This study advances our understanding of dynamic sexual dichromatism, temporary color change during breeding.
The research was conducted in Karnataka in June 2023 and demonstrated that this communication strategy optimizes mate selection and avoids harmful same-sex interactions in dense breeding aggregations.
