Abstract
The sex accessory structures of amphibians are the genital ducts and derivatives. The secondary sexual characteristics are all of the differences between the sexes due to sexual maturation other than those connected with the gonads and their ducts. Gonadal steroid hormones, particularly testosterone and related androgens, are important in the development and seasonal variation of sexually dimorphic organs. Other hormones, such as prolactin, are found to be necessary in conjunction with gonadal steroids for the full structural development and function of some sex accessory structures and secondary sexual characteristics. This chapter reviews the effects of hormones on development, anatomy, function, and seasonal variation of the sex accessory structures and secondary sexual characteristics of amphibians. It introduces the more general term, secondary characteristics, to refer to nonsexually dimorphic traits that arise at sexual maturity. The role of gonadal steroid hormones in causing seasonal changes in sex accessory structures and secondary sexual characteristics is also well-documented in this chapter.
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