Driving around the bush in the summer months, you often see these foam “balls” hanging from branches over waterholes. These strange looking foam balls are in fact nests of the Foam Nest Frog, also known as the Grey Tree Frog. These frogs are arboreal, which means that they live in trees. To help them move in their arboreal surroundings, they have little sticky pads on the tips of their fingers and toes. These nests are formed when the females secrete a fluid from the oviduct, which they froth into foam, and then start to lay their eggs inside. Several males will join in and deposit their sperm into the nest. As this is a lengthy process, the female needs to rehydrate every so often. The foam will dry and harden around the eggs, and protect it against drought and predators. Once the tadpoles hatch, and grow to about one centimeter, they drop into the water where they continue their life cycle. This can take about 4-5 days. These frogs are also commonly found in and around human habitation – so keep an eye open for these creatures when you visit us at Kapama!

Maggie – Kapama River Lodge
23/02/2012