Who had any idea something half the size of my thumbnail could be so territorial? This morning I spent about an hour waiting for the sun to come back out and watching tadpoles and newly-metamorphose froglets (they're smaller than many of the tadpoles -- think conservation of mass and the hard work required to completely revamp your body plan and internal organs) wandering around the edges of the pond.
The froglets moved with frenetic speed much of the time, as opposed to the sedate pace of a swimming tadpole. I guess it might have somethng to do with suddenly being without gill and still spending much of your time underwater. Whenever another froglet or tadpole approached, they would leap out at it and then either back to their spot, the invader repelled, or off to another perch.
I saw one climbing up the rock wall of the pond, resting ever inch or two, falling back and scrambling out of the water again, slowly making its way up to a ledge with a patch of moss on it. When what should appear out of the nearest crevice but another tiny frog, ready to do battle. I left them staring each other down.