From: giraffe@longneck.inc (giraffe~⇔)
Newsgroups: alt.binaries.pictures.artpics
Subject: Re: Critters - KitchenBert_AndSoTheyBuild09-iej.jpg
Date: Wed, 08 Nov 2000 03:12:38 GMT

>*
>*From a educational book for children
>*And So They Build
>*Written & illustrated by Bert Kitchen
>*
>*ISBN 1-56402-502-0

Timing must be crucial for this operation!
----------------------------------------------

KitchenBert_AndSoTheyBuild09-iej

For a gladiator tree frog it's spawning time
and so he builds......

The gladiator tree frog comes from South America.
It spends most of the year up in the trees, but
moves down to the ground during spawning time.

At the edge of a pond or slow-moving stream the male
frog builds a round enclosure out of clay, smoothing
the walls with his spatula-like fingers.

A few days later, when he's finished, he sits inside
and calls out for a mate. He will drive away all
males, but any female he attracts will inspect his
enclosure before joining him to spawn.

Their tadpoles will be well protected from predators
in their walled nursery. While they grow, water will
be seeping in, raising the level inside until the time
when they're ready to swim over the walls and out into
the wider world.