Abstract

Ten desert anuran breeding aggregations containing Bufo woodhousei, Scaphiopus couchi, S. multiplicatus or S. bombifrons were observed from 1977 to 1979. A nonrandom subset of the males mated in one of four S. couchi aggregations, one of two S. multiplicatus aggregations and in three of three B. woodhousei aggregations, as determined by comparisons of snout-vent lengths of mating to nonmating males. In all comparisons where a significant difference occurred, males which mated were larger than nonmating males. There was no relationship between the snout-vent lengths of males and females in amplexus. These results suggest that the mating bias towards large males is not a result of size assortative mating. Current hypotheses for the existence of nonrandom mating patterns in anurans are discussed.

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