Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-27
Frog World Amozons.
Fight for Own I Territory
Females MiIitontIy Defend
/ Venezuela Feeding Areas
By THONGS r. Henry

A race Of frog Amazons, militant
females which fight bitter territorial
battles, lives in the coastal mountains
Of northern Venezuela
It is described by DR.. Frederick n.
Test OF the University Of Michigan.
who observed the species for more than
six months, in report to the Ameri-
can Association for the Advancement
Of Science here.
Hitherto both frogs and toads have
been considered the least militant OF
animals, SO far as their own races
are concerned.
The aggressive tendencies take the
form Of 'territorialism," most frequent
cause of human wars.
1T was most frequently SEEN" he
reports, lin adult females which reach
about % millimeters (about an inch)
in body-head length. These females
have stations along the edges of
streams where each feeds in the day.
time in q limited area, its home range.
It seeks shelter, when alarmed, in q
small opening beneath the rocks. Most
of the home range, including the
shelter site, Is maintained as terri
tory from which the resident frog at
tempts to drive off intruders of the
same species, usually with success.
Challenge and Attack.
''The first aggressive act is usually
a hopping approach to the intruder
and q challenge in which the bright
yellow throat is exhibited and slowly
pulsated. If the intruder does not re-
treat. the resident female makes quick
Jump and alights directly on the other
animal usually on its back or head.
In most instances this is sufficient to
cause the attacked frog to Jump away.
but sometimes the intruder will stand
her ground, even to the point of de-
Tending herself. Then ensues an actual
wrestling bout of several seconds until
one of the pair retreats or is pushed of
the rock, on which the encounters
often take place.
"Only rarely was territorial defense
seen in an adult male. but 1t was
found to be carried out by young frogs
of both sexes. The phenomenon was
not associated with breeding or with
the site of egg deposition. Rather it
was q defense Of feeding grounds and
shelter. It was not rare but was seen
repeatedly, exhibited by many individ-
uals, obviously being a regular part OF
the daily life. For example. on one
day in period of two and a half
hours spent watching small stream.
along about five meters of its length.
five frogs were seen to defend their
territories in the same manner.
Lengthy Fight Described.
"A typical example of territoriality
was seen in a female that had been
watched for several previous days. A
subadult frog landed about four GEN.
timeters from her at the end of a
Jump. For three or four minutes the
adult sat facing the young frog. with
head elevated, the front of her body
raised high on Strengthened forelegs.
slowly pulsating her orange yellow
throat. The smaller frog remained
quiet.
"Then the resident jumped on the
intruder, which made a short leap.
dislodging the adult. Two more jump
ing attacks followed in quick success
sion before the intruder hid beneath
rock. In short time the young frog
came out and was quickly attacked
again. This time its retreat carried
1t outside the territory of the resi-
dent female and no further attack was
SEEM" N
Much the same sort of territorialism,
DR.. Test says. previously has been re-
ported in birds. reptiles, mammals and
fish, but previous reports Of its ex-
istence among amphibians have been
quite questionable. It cannot be con-
fused. he says, with mere defense of
feeding grounds. This may play q small
part in the phenomenon.
1t apparently is deeply rooted in
stinct throughout most Of animal life
and may have played an important
part in the evolution of species.