I know frogs start croaking at the same time to attract a female.
Why do they all stop at the same time?
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1 Answer
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Calling is a risky activity because it makes the frog conspicuous to predators. When calling in a group, the risk to any given individual is minimized to the point that the minimal risk is outweighed by the advantage of attracting a mate. However, a single frog calling on his own is assuming all of the predation risk. So, the frogs are playing a bit of game theory and when too few are calling simultaneously to make the risk worthwhile, they will all tend to stop.
