Let’s fall in love

Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it. Laura Parker finds that, when it comes to creatures mating for life, persistence, patience and a little dad dancing are key to success

WIN or lose, sink or swim/One thing is certain, we’ll never give in.’ These immortal lines are from We All Stand Together, a song featuring a frog chorus. Its composer, Sir Paul McCartney, took his inspiration from an old favourite 1958 Rupert Bear Annual, with an illustration by Alfred Bestall of a large frog conducting a choir of amphibians by moonlight. Do frogs sing together? Male frogs (Rana temporaria) choose the best breeding ground and croak to attract a mate and to ward off rivals. When there’s a crowd around the spring pond, the love songs become competitive and the volume rises. As Sir Paul sings, wooing is vitally important, to frogs and to all animals. With many males likely to end up on the losing side, persistence is all when it…

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Country Life (Digital) - 1 Issue, February 12, 2025

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