Foam Orgies: The Dangerous Sex Life of Tree Frogs

Key Takeaways

female foam nesting tree frogs build frothy nests at the ends of tree branches that extend over small bodies of water they do this by secreting a washer II substance and whipping it up with their hind legs which quickly gains the attention of nearby males it's in this foam bath that a male will copulate with the female oh did I say male I meant males up to 20 additional males will join the party in quick succession earning female foam nesting frogs the title of most promiscuous females in the vertebrate world the males and the female will all continue with the leg pumping frothing action which serves to increase the size of the nest the lengthy orgies are generally peaceful and the majority of a females eggs are fertilized and well protected in their foamy environments but in addition to taking a lot of energy it seems that having such promiscuous sex could be downright dangerous for female foam nesters the possibility of competition between males or the potential for injury to the female seemly they could be major factors here why would these females take the risk foam nesting frogs live in stochastic southeastern african environments this means that the environmental conditions are both unpredictable and also quite severe by allowing each of her egg clutches to be sired by a variety of males a female insures that her offspring will be genetically diverse this diversity will allow at least some of her babies to survive regardless of the environmental conditions that they will have to endure in this way when Mom acts like a super she's actually making sure to maximize her own genetic blueprints in future generations who are we to judge for more videos about animals that aren't made out of paper check out this playlist from our friends at the dodo don't forget to subscribe and keep coming back to seeker for more videos [Music]