Editing Common frog (section)

== Reproduction and mating patterns==
[[File:DutchCommonFrogsCroackingRanaTemporaria.ogv|thumb|right|Choir of greyish males and a few brownish females still present in a small pond]]
During the spring the frog's [[pituitary gland]] is stimulated by changes in external factors, such as rainfall, day length and temperature, to produce hormones which, in turn, stimulate the production of sex cells – [[egg]]s in the females and [[sperm]] in the male. The male's nuptial pad also swells and becomes more heavily pigmented.<ref name="frog reproduction">{{cite web|url=http://www.frog-garden.com/frog-reproduction.html|title=Frog Reproduction|last=Anon|work=Frog-garden.com|access-date=23 March 2014|archive-date=21 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190121083313/https://www.frog-garden.com/frog-reproduction.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Common frogs breed in shallow, still, fresh water such as ponds, with spawning commencing sometime between late February and late June, but generally in April over the main part of their range.<ref name="Amphibia"/>

=== Competition among males ===
Like its close cousin, the moor frog (''R. arvalis''), ''R. Temporaria'' does not exhibit [[Territory (animal)|territoriality]], resulting in a lack of physical fighting among males. During the breeding season, male common frogs undergo a period of a few days (less than 10 days) during whichthey display rapid and frenzied breeding behavior,<ref name="Elmberg-1986">{{cite journal |last1=Elmberg |first1=Johan |date=1986 |title=Apparent lack of territoriality during the breeding season in a boreal population of common frogs Rana temporaria L |url=https://www.thebhs.org/publications/the-herpetological-journal/volume-1-number-2-june-1986/1129-09-apparent-lack-of-territoriality-during-the-breeding-season-in-a-boreal-population-of-common-frogs-rana-temporaria-l |journal=Herpetological Journal |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=81–83 |language=en-gb |ref=breeding1}}</ref> during which the purpose of the male is to quickly find and mate with as many female frogs as possible. Males with higher mating success rates typically have longer thumbs than single males,<ref name="Ryser-1989">{{cite journal |last1=Ryser |first1=Jan |date=1 January 1989 |title=The breeding migration and mating system of a Swiss population of the common frog Rana temporaria |journal=Amphibia-Reptilia |volume=10 |issue=1 |pages=13–21 |doi=10.1163/156853889X00269 |ref=breeding2|doi-access=free }}</ref> which gives them  a better grip on females.

=== Mating interactions ===
About three years after birth, the common frog will return to its original birthplace and emit a [[mating call]]. Males will be the first to arrive at the pond and wait for females to enter. During this period of pre-female competition, the pond becomes significantly male-dominated, and there is a substantial degree of [[Male intrasexual competition|intrasexual competition]] taking place.<ref name="Ryser-1989" /> The shallower portion of the pond, which is more conducive to egg-laying, is more predominantly occupied by the larger males. However, once the females arrive, this territoriality quickly dissipates and male-female [[Amplexus|amplexed]] pairs are free to move anywhere in the pond. Additionally, once an amplexus is established, it is rare for single males to attempt to displace or "take over" the paired male.<ref name="Ryser-1989" />

It is also important to note the effect of size on the mating strategies of a male common frog. Smaller frogs are crowded out of the shallow areas of the pond during the pre-spawning period, a problem which they circumvent by searching for females on the land or in areas of the pond where they first arrive.<ref name="Elmberg-1986" /> Meanwhile, the larger frogs occupy the spawning site, where they encounter more amplexed pairs and therefore rely on their ability to displace amplexed males to secure a mate.<ref name="Elmberg-1986" /> However, the frequency of these takeovers is not consistent.