Acoustic communication and vocalization microhabitat in Ameerega braccata (Steindachner, 1864) (Anura, Dendrobatidae) from Midwestern Brazil

Abstract

Ameerega braccata is an aposematic, small dendrobatid anuran known from its type-locality, Chapada dos Guimarães, in the State of Mato Grosso, and from a few additional localities in Mato Grosso do Sul and Goiás States, Brazil. The advertisement call of A. braccata is composed of a single unpulsed note, with a frequency range from 3.5 to 4.2 KHz (N = 110), and average duration of 65.8 ms (N = 110, SD = 11.6). The territorial call is composed of five or six repeated notes, structurally similar to advertisement call notes. The courtship call is emitted in close-range interactions between male-female during the courtship event and may reach frequencies of 2.2 to 5.3 KHz (N = 10), with shorter notes (average duration 43 ms; N = 10; SD = 4.9). Call duration, note duration and call rate of the advertisement call showed high variation (>15% of coefficient of variation), and dominant frequency showed low variation (<4%). The properties with higher variation possibly respond to climatic features and male social position. When producing advertisement calls, males were usually found at an average height of 31.4 cm (N = 19, SD = 12.2 cm), mainly on leaves of shrubs and herbaceous plants (59%). Individuals of A. braccata were found in open physiognomies in the Cerrado ("campo sujo" and "cerrado stricto sensu"), as opposed to that found by previous researchers, who reported an association of the species with gallery forests in the Cerrado.Keywords: Amphibia, Dendrobatidae, Ameerega braccata, vocalization, habitat use.Comunicação acústica e microhabitat de vocalização em Ameerega braccata (Steindachner, 1864) (Anura, Dendrobatidae) do centro-oeste do Brasil ResumoAmeerega braccata é um pequeno anuro aposemático da família Dendrobatidae, conhecido de sua localidade-tipo, Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso e outras localidades adicionais em Mato Grosso do Sul e Goiás, Brasil. A vocalização de anúncio de A. braccata é composta de uma única nota, não pulsionada, com amplitude de frequência entre 3,5 e 4,2 KHz (N = 110) e duração média de 65,8 ms (N = 110, DP = 11,6). A vocalização territorial é composta por cinco ou seis notas repetidas, estruturalmente similares às notas da vocalização de anúncio. Vocalização de corte é emitida em interações de proximidade entre machos e fêmeas durante o processo de corte, podendo alcançar frequências entre 2,2 e 5,3 KHz (N = 10), com notas curtas (duração média 43 ms; N = 10; DP = 4,9). A duração do canto, a duração da nota e a taxa de repetição de canto de anúncio apresentam alta variação (>15% de coeficiente de variação), ao passo que a frequência dominante apresenta baixa variação (<4%). As propriedades com variação alta podem variar de acordo com características climáticas e possivelmente em função do contexto social do macho emissor. Quando em exibição de anúncio, os machos foram usualmente encontrados a uma altura média de 31,4 cm (N = 19, DP = 12,2 cm), principalmente sobre folhas de arbustos e plantas herbáceas (59%). Indivíduos de A. braccata foram encontrados em fisionomias abe...

Current knowledge on bioacoustics of the subfamily Lophyohylinae (Hylidae, Anura) and description of Ocellated treefrogItapotihyla langsdorffiivocalizations

“…Temporal and spectral properties of anuran calls have different levels of variation ( Gerhardt, 1991 ; Gerhardt & Huber, 2002 ). Usually, in anuran species the spectral properties show low intra-individual variation and are considered static (CV < 5%), while temporal properties may have higher variation and are considered dynamic (CV > 12%) ( Márquez & Eekhout, 2006 ; Forti, Strüssman & Mott, 2010 ; Briggs, 2010 ; Morais et al, 2012 ; Carvalho et al, 2013 ; Forti, Márquez & Bertoluci, 2015 ; Forti et al, 2016 ; Köhler et al, 2017 ). The variation in acoustic properties of I. langsdorffii calls corroborates this pattern, with spectral variables presenting lower variation than temporal ones.…”

“…Generally, spectral properties, such as dominant and minimum frequency, are body size dependent ( Gingras et al, 2013 ) and related to the process of conspecific recognition, since these variables tend to be static (i.e., presenting lower intraspecific variation) ( sensu Gerhardt, 1991 ). However, temporal properties, such as call duration and pulse rate, in turn, show higher variability ( Márquez & Eekhout, 2006 ; Briggs, 2010 ; Forti, Strüssman & Mott, 2010 ; Kaefer & Lima, 2012 ; Forti, Márquez & Bertoluci, 2015 ; Forti et al, 2016 ), and are determined by social and climatic conditions ( Wong et al, 2004 ; Lingnau & Bastos, 2007 ).…”

Reproductive biology of Ameerega trivittata (Anura: Dendrobatidae) in an area of terra firme forest in eastern Amazonia

“…The use of perches raised up off the ground by calling A. trivittata males is not a typical behavioral pattern in this amphibian family. In Cerrado savanna, for example, Forti et al (2010) observed that most Ameerega braccata called from the leaves of bushes and herbaceous plants. Haddad and Martins (1994) observed that Ameerega flavopicta usually call from rocks near streams, Ameerega hahneli from the leaf litter, and A. picta from the branches of dead trees on the leaf litter.…”

Diet of Ameerega braccata (Steindachner, 1864) (Anura: Dendrobatidae) from Chapada dos Guimarães and Cuiabá, Mato Grosso State, Brazil

“…Ameerega braccata (Steindachner, 1864) is a colorful dendrobatid distributed in the savannah-like Cerrado ecosystem from Central and Midwestern Brazil, where it is known from localities in the States of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, and Goiás (Frost, 2009). A few aspects of the natural history of this species have already been addressed (Haddad and Martins, 1994;Forti et al, 2010).…”