Cane Toad Reproductive System Analysis

The cane toad reproductive system especially of male consists of the fat bodies and this cannot be found in a reproductive system of a common brushtail possum. The process of how sperm travels is also different between the two animals. In a common brushtail possum, the sperm travels through the vasa deferentia, which transports the sperm from the epididymis to the urethra (Venugopal, 2016. pg 3.5). While in a cane toad the vasa efferentia helps carry the sperm from the testes to the kidney and then through the archinephric duct, then through the ovisac and finally empties into the cloaca (Minkoff, 2013m pg 75-76). The common brushtail possum has a typically mammalian reproductive tract where structure prostate, epididymis and penis can be found however theses structures that cannot be found in the cane toad. The cane toad has a bidder organ, which can develop into a functionally ovary if the testes of a male cane toad is removed (Easteal, 1993, pg 6). The only similarity between the two animals is that both animals have testes. It is important to have the testes in an animal, as it is the …show more content…
Mating beginning with male signaling the female by croaking to indicate that he is close to a water source and is available to mate (Jeffrey,2007, pg 257). The male cane toad would release his sperm in the water and the sperm would swim to where the female has laid her eggs in the water (Jeffrey,2007, pg 257). This may be advantage because it allows the cane toad not to have a penis, however the male cane toad still need to be close by to female in order to fertilize the eggs (Jeffrey,2007, pg 257). The only disadvantage of external fertilization is that the female has to use a lot of energy in order to produce eggs and many eggs may not survive (Jeffrey,2007, pg 257). However this type of cane toad have toxic eggs which would reduce egg predation (Jeffrey,2007, pg