Diversity and Sexual Dichromatism in Treefrog Throat Coloration: Potential Signal Function?

Höbel, Gerlinde; Feagles, Olivia; Ruder, E.

doi:10.1670/21-047

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 45 publications

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“…Here we used reflectance spectrophotometry to describe the spectral variation of red and yellow salamanders, and visual modelling to investigate whether conspecifics and predators could distinguish them. We collected spectral data from the throat of male salamanders, where color may act as a sexual signal, as it seems to occur in other salamander and anuran species (Ancillotto et al., 2022; Gomez et al., 2009; Höbel et al., 2022; Richardson et al., 2010). For example, in Salamandrina perspicillata , the sexually dichromatic ventral coloration is coupled with a behavioral display that increases the visibility of males' throats (Ancillotto et al., 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Color morphs of the fire salamander are discriminated at night by conspecifics and predators

Aguilar,

Pérez i de Lanuza,

Martínez‐Gil

et al. 2023

Journal of Zoology

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The coexistence of multiple discrete color phenotypes (i.e. color polymorphism) has been studied in many diurnal species where environmental light allows most visual systems to chromatically discriminate color morphs. However, there is a large gap in our understanding of the discrimination thresholds and the function color polymorphisms play at night. We collected spectral data from the throats of red‐ and yellow‐morph males in a polymorphic population of the nocturnal amphibian Salamandra salamandra gallaica. We estimated the discriminability between morphs and their conspicuousness at night by fitting visual models of conspecifics and predators. We also collected morphological, behavioral and physiological data and assessed the abundance and activity patterns of each morph to explore their potential function. Visual models indicated that both conspecifics and predators can visually discriminate salamander color morphs under night‐light conditions. Assuming the potential role of yellow and red color patches as visual signals, putatively related to social signaling, we could suspect that these colors represent different adaptive optima. Red‐morph individuals had shorter bodies and lower body condition, but both morphs showed similar space use. In addition, both color morphs exhibited similar metabolic physiology, suggesting that the observed similarity in these traits may be better explained by the shared environmental conditions, rather than color. Finally, differences in the conspicuousness of red and yellow morphs could result in differential predation pressure.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Color morphs of the fire salamander are discriminated at night by conspecifics and predators

Aguilar,

Pérez i de Lanuza,

Martínez‐Gil

et al. 2023

Journal of Zoology

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Colouration matters in dull toads: ultraviolet adornment for ladies and agrochemicals fading effects

Tartu,

Lorrain-Soligon,

Cheron

et al. 2023

Oecologia

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Visual cues do not function in a multimodal signalling context for mate attraction in eastern gray treefrogs

Augusto-Alves,

Feagles,

Toledo

et al. 2024

Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

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Anurans use different sensory modalities to communicate and interact socially, including acoustic, chemical, tactile, and visual signals. In a multimodal context, these sensory modes can transmit different information to the receiver or even reinforce the same message. In this study, we hypothesized that body colour traits and vocal sac movements of male eastern gray treefrogs [Dryophytes versicolor (= Hyla versicolor)] serve as secondary visual cues that increase their attractiveness while calling to attract mates. We tested this hypothesis using playback trials combining synthetic advertisement calls with a variety of visual cues, including differently coloured resin frog models, simulated vocal sacs, and live frogs. None of the visual stimuli tested impacted female choice, and there was no difference in response rate, response time, choice angle, or distance covered in the arena between multimodal and unimodal stimuli. However, females showed a strong preference for longer calls even if the less attractive calls were paired with a visual stimulus. The study provides comprehensive insights into the role of visual stimuli in the mate attraction of eastern gray treefrogs and suggests that call traits play a dominant role in the male-selection process of this species, contrary to what was observed for visual stimuli.

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Diversity and Sexual Dichromatism in Treefrog Throat Coloration: Potential Signal Function?

Cited by 3 publications

References 45 publications

Color morphs of the fire salamander are discriminated at night by conspecifics and predators

Color morphs of the fire salamander are discriminated at night by conspecifics and predators

Colouration matters in dull toads: ultraviolet adornment for ladies and agrochemicals fading effects

Visual cues do not function in a multimodal signalling context for mate attraction in eastern gray treefrogs

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