The male frogs usually enter the water first. They then call to attract mates. Their call also helps direct other males to a pool suitable for mating. Each species has its own mating call. Naturalists can identify many kinds of frogs more easily by their call than by their appearance.
Female frogs respond only to the call made by males of their own species.
In certain species, individual differences in the mating call may determine which male the female chooses to mate with. Males of some species also have a territorial call. This call warns other males of the same species that a certain area is occupied and that intruders are not welcome. After a female frog enters the water, a male grasps her and clings to her back. In this position, the male fertilizes the eggs as they leave the female's body.