Biology · Structural Organisation in Animals · NEET
Sexual dimorphism means the male frog and the female frog look different. Two features are found ONLY in the male frog: (1) sound-producing vocal sacs and (2) a copulatory pad on the first digit of the fore limbs. Both are absent in the female. Memory hook: "Males SING and GRIP" - Sing with vocal Sacs, Grip with the copulatory pad.
Male frog (left) has two extra features - vocal sacs for sound and a copulatory pad on the first digit of the fore limb. Female frog (right) has neither. All other features (eyes, skin, webbed feet) are the same in both sexes.
Your doubts, answered
What exactly is sexual dimorphism in a frog?
Sexual dimorphism means the male and the female of the same species show a visible structural difference. In frogs, the male can be told apart from the female by two extra features: vocal sacs and a copulatory pad. The female frog has neither of these.
Which two features are found only in the male frog?
Only the male frog has (1) sound-producing vocal sacs and (2) a copulatory pad on the first digit of the fore limbs. NCERT says both are absent in female frogs. These are the two points NEET tests again and again.
Is the copulatory pad on the fore limb or the hind limb?
It is on the FORE limb (front limb), not the hind limb. This is a common trap. The exact location is the first digit of the fore limb. NEET 2025 asked this exact location.
On which digit is the copulatory pad present?
On the FIRST digit of the fore limb. Not the second digit, and not both digits. Remember: first digit, fore limb, male only.
Do female frogs have vocal sacs?
No. Vocal sacs are present only in the male frog. The male uses them to produce sound (croaking) to attract the female during the breeding season. Female frogs cannot make this sound because they lack vocal sacs.
Are bulging eyes or webbed feet a way to tell male from female?
No. Bulging eyes, webbed digits on the feet, and olive-green skin with dark spots are common to BOTH male and female frogs. They are not signs of sex. Only vocal sacs and the copulatory pad separate the two sexes.
⚠️ The NEET trap ✗ The copulatory pad is present on the first digit of the hind limb of the male frog. ✓ The copulatory pad is on the first digit of the FORE limb (front limb), not the hind limb. 🧠 NEET swaps 'fore limb' for 'hind limb' and 'first digit' for 'second digit'. Lock in: FIRST digit + FORE limb + MALE only.
Real NEET questions
NEET 2026
Male frogs can be distinguished from female frogs due to the presence of
A. Bulging eyes
B. Vocal sacs
C. Webbed digits in feet
D. Copulatory pad on first digit of fore limbs
E. Olive green-coloured skin with dark irregular spots
Choose the correct answer from the options given below
A · B and C only
B · C and E only
C · A and B only
D · B and D only ✓
Solution: Male frogs are distinguished by sound-producing vocal sacs (B) and a copulatory pad on the first digit of the fore limbs (D). Bulging eyes (A), webbed digits (C) and olive-green spotted skin (E) are common to both sexes. So the answer is (D) B and D only.
NEET 2025
Which of the following statement is correct about location of the male frog copulatory pad?
A · Second digit of fore limb
B · First digit of the fore limb ✓
C · First and Second digit of fore limb
D · First digit of hind limb
Solution: The copulatory pad is present on the FIRST digit of the FORE limb in the male frog. NCERT states male frogs bear a copulatory pad on the first digit of the fore limbs, absent in females. So the answer is (B).
Solved Structural Organisation in Animals NEET PYQs
Try the real previous-year questions from this chapter — each with the answer and a full solution.
