Our tour guide Ersel found this interesting frog during a night walk activity. This species´ combativeness and the sharp, curved spikes on its hands give rise to its common name, Gladiator Tree Frog. Hyla rusenbergi searches for puddles of water that have nearly dried up. At the edge of these pools, the male scoops out a bowl-like depression, generally with a diameter between 6 and 20 inches. These depressions fill up with water that seeps through from the adjacent stream or pond. On the night after the nest construction is finished, the male enters his artificial pond and starts calling to attract females. After mating the eggs are deposited on the nest’s watery surface in a floating layer and are fertilized by the male when they leave the female’s body. The male attends the egg clutch during its development. They are very territorial and aggressively defend the nest area against intruders. They are especially on their guard for competing male Hyla rusenbergi that try to invade their nest and break the surface tension of the water within the basin. When the surface tension is broken, the eggs sink to the bottom and die from lack of oxygen. For this reason, males actively patrol the perimeter of their nest and fight off every trespasser, often using the sharp spines on their thumbs to get a better grip on their slippery opponents. Males are often seriously injured during these fights, and are sometimes killed, just like the ancient gladiators. It is an amazing life, and one of the nighttime animals you can enjoy in the reserve of Arenas Del Mar.
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