Hundreds of bones were found in the remains of a hill fort near Prague.

Examination of the remains revealed that the hind legs of the males were eaten exclusively as they were the meatiest.

This indicates that the males would have been deliberately caught during the mating season occurring in the spring.

According the report containing the findings: "It took place most probably in March or April, when frogs are at the height of their mating activity; when they tend to gather in great numbers and are easily captured.

"This is supported by the male dominated sex ratio and the prevalence of adult individuals."

Up until now, archaelogical evidence had indicated that France was the origin for the practice of eating frogs.

The researchers stated that: "The discovery indicates that the dietary use of frogs in prehistory is not limited to the Western Europe only.

"It shows that the small vertebrate could have played an important role in human lives in central European agricultural prehistory."