In my garden live a number of different frogs. The Warted frog (Bufo bufo), the Tree frog (Hyla Arborea Savigny) and the Marsh frog (Rana ridibunda ridibunda) are the types I get to see most.
These frogs ‘sing’ a deafening song, especially during summer nights. And if one listens carefully, one can distinguish their seperate voices.
One morning early, when I was going around in my garden, I heard exited frog-voices from the pond where a lot of Rana ridibunda ridibunda live. I quickly went there. Two male frogs were sparring. (I was sure they were male because I saw the little vocal balloons that only the males have.)

I started to watch the frogs. They would not let go of each other, they were both attacking each other from a frontal position; face to face and also jumping on top of each other trying to hold on. The one at the bottom was trying to throw of the one on top with sudden movements or managing to escape by diving under water.They were intimidating each other with their voices too. They seemed to be of the same strength, although the slightly darker one seemed a bit better at ‘getting on top’.
When tired they rested a bit in the position they found themselves in, to continue as soon as they had gathered their strength. Their movements were very sportive and elegant I thought and the whole happening reminded me of the wrestlers at Kirkpinar.
My husband came too and said ‘Oh, they are mating aren’t they?’ ‘No, it must be a territorial fight’ I answered. Why would two male frogs mate?

But after a while I did not feel so sure anymore, the subject was continuing to prod my mind, what were they doing really?
In order to find out, I decided to contact the Zoology department of the Istanbul University. There I met with Ast. Doc. Dr Cüneyt Kubanç, whom I asked for help. He agreed to see the film I had made of the incident. As soon as the film started he said; ‘Ahh, yes two Rana ridibunda ridibunda, both male.’ I was delighted, indeed it must have been a territorial fight! ‘But..’ said Cüneyt Bey, ‘They are also taking up the mating position frequently, the mating position always means the frog on top must wrap his arms around the belly of the one at the bottom.’ He also told me a territorial fight is always fought face to face only. At the same time, homosexual (a strange word in this case) behaviour is seen a lot in the animal world. Since the strongest male animal is allowed to mate with all the females, the other males, for lack of better, seek solace with eachother.

Than Cüneyt Bey said ‘Let’s have a look at the inside of their thumbs. Frogs have three fingers at their front hands, when the male is ready for mating, a small black almond shaped bump appears at the inside of the thumb.’ We started to look. It was not simple to get a vieuw of the inside of their thumbs, but finally we managed. No black spot! This made us decide no real mating drive was the case.

As a conclusion I decided that these two frogs were quarreling and rehearsing. They were two boisterous youths in the process of how to both master a territory and a female. After all “Practice makes perfect”!