Recently, I shared a photo of a pair of frogs that were successfully mating via a technique known as amplexus. Today, I thought I’d share a photo of a pair of frogs that are unsuccessfully mating via a technique known as amplexus.

I was extremely confused by this scene when I happened upon it one evening in Costa Rica, so much so that I posted the photo to a couple of frog groups to get some clarification.

As far as I’m aware, this is a photo of a very confused male Scinax elaeochroa, attempting to mate with a (presumably equally-confused) female Leptodactylus savagei – not only a completely different species, but a completely different family.

That would be like a mongoose accidentally trying to shag a lion. (I’m probably stretching my taxonomic metaphors a bit there but that’s at least true for the Linnaean system.)

I dunno, I could be wrong. Maybe they’re just spooning, and I’m not confident on the Scinax ID. If any herpetologists want to weigh in, please be my guest.

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Olive Snouted Tree Frog (Scinax elaeochroa) and Savage’s Thin-Toed Frog (Leptodactylus savagei), Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica