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How do nuptial pads help male frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts during breeding?

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A pangolin walks through grass with a blue circle around it and the word endangered written in white across the image. — Integument The pangolin is the only mammal in the world covered in scales.

During the breeding season, male anurans (frogs and toads) and urodeles (salamanders and newts) develop specialized structures known as nuptial pads on certain digits of their forelimbs. These pads are induced by androgenic (male) hormones and serve a critical mechanical function: they facilitate a firm grip on the female during the mating process.1

By providing increased friction or adherence, these pads help the male maintain his hold on the female, which is essential for successful mating behaviors such as amplexus—the copulatory embrace used by frogs and toads to ensure the close proximity of their cloacae for efficient fertilization.21