Lesson plan
Hydric brooding
Hydric brooding is an egg incubation practice performed by some species of frogs. It involves either placing urine from the bladder on the eggs to keep them wet or holding the body over the eggs to prevent them from drying out. Unlike reptile and bird eggs, which have an amniotic membrane to prevent dehydration, amphibian eggs laid on land can become dry and die. In some species, the male frog will periodically return to the clutch and moisten the eggs with urine from his bladder. For example, the male poison arrow frog Phyllobates vittatus sits on top of his eggs and sheds liquid. He visits the clutch roughly three times each day until hatching.
Article summary
Hydric brooding is an egg incubation practice performed by some species of frogs. It involves either placing urine from the bladder on the eggs to keep them wet or holding the body over the eggs to prevent them from drying out. Unlike reptile and bird eggs, which have an amniotic membrane to prevent dehydration, amphibian eggs laid on land can become dry and die. In some species, the male frog will periodically return to the clutch and moisten the eggs with urine from his bladder. For example, the male poison arrow frog Phyllobates vittatus sits on top of his eggs and sheds liquid. He visits the clutch roughly three times each day until hatching.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
Bibliography
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.