Extremely Low Ambient Light Levels of Ascaphus truei

Hailman, Jack P.

doi:10.2307/1563909

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Each species of frog has an optimum ambient illumination (for a given adaptational state) at which the frogs' visual discriminability is the greatest Jaeger 1974, 1976;Jaeger and Hailman 1976). Many frog species are active only at very low environmental illumination (Hailman 1982(Hailman , 1984, and their visually mediated behaviour predominantly occurs at light levels well below those that humans perceive as total darkness (Larsen and Pedersen 1982;Buchanan 1993). Visual information is likely to be available to frogs during a variety of nocturnal activities (Buchanan 1993(Buchanan , 1998, and the use of sight occurs to avoid threats (Ingle and Hoff 1990).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual communication in Brazilian species of anurans from the Atlantic forest

Hartmann

Giasson

Hartmann

et al. 2005

Journal of Natural History

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Visual communication is widespread among several anuran families, but seems to be more common than currently thought. We investigated and compared visual communication in six species of an anuran community in the Brazilian Atlantic forest. Four are nocturnal species: Hyalinobatrachium uranoscopum (Centrolenidae), Hyla albomarginata, Hyla sp. (aff. ehrhardti), and Scinax eurydice (Hylidae), and two are diurnal species: Hylodes phyllodes and Hylodes asper (Leptodactylidae). For H. uranoscopum, H. albomarginata, S. eurydice, and H. phyllodes, this is the first record of visual communication. Observations were made at Nú cleo Picinguaba, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, in the Municipality of Ubatuba, State of São Paulo, Brazil. Descriptions of behaviour were based on individuals observed in the field, using sequence sampling with continuous tape recording for behavioural observations. Eight new behaviours are described: body wiping, face wiping, jump display, leg kicking, limb lifting, mouth opening, toe flagging, and vocal sac display. Of the 42 anuran species known from Nú cleo Picinguaba, at least six (approximately 14%) display visual communication. The evolution of visual signals in these species may be related to the availability of ambient light, the structural complexity of the habitat, and/or the ambient noise. They may also have evolved to aid in the location of the individual, to avoid physical combat, and/or may be a byproduct of seismic communication.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual communication in Brazilian species of anurans from the Atlantic forest

Hartmann

Giasson

Hartmann

et al. 2005

Journal of Natural History

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Amphibians

Sinsch¹

1992

Animal Homing

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Diel activity patterns in the breeding migrations of winter-breeding anurans

Pechmann¹,

Semlitsch²

1986

Can. J. Zool.

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Diel activity patterns in the breeding migrations of four winter-breeding anurans (Hyla crucifer, Pseudacris nigrita, Pseudacris ornata, and Rana utricularia) were examined at a breeding pond in South Carolina, U.S.A., using a terrestrial drift fence with pitfall traps. Traps were censused at 0600, 1200, 1800, and 2400 during six 24-h periods from 1982 through 1984. Census dates were selected during which the weather was expected to remain uniformly warm and rainy throughout all four time intervals. This allowed us to separate the effect of time of day on migratory activity from the effects of temperature and rainfall. There were significant differences in migratory activity among time intervals, but no significant differences among time intervals in either mean air temperature or rainfall. Males and females of all four species migrated to and from the pond primarily during the two night intervals. The absence of daylight appears to be a necessary trigger for migratory behavior in these anurans. Temperature and moisture conditions often limit their breeding migrations, and the failure to utilize suitable diurnal weather conditions represents an additional constraint. We suggest that the observed diel pattern of migratory activity may be an adaptation to avoid visual predators.

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Extremely Low Ambient Light Levels of Ascaphus truei

Cited by 6 publications

References 0 publications

Visual communication in Brazilian species of anurans from the Atlantic forest

Visual communication in Brazilian species of anurans from the Atlantic forest

Amphibians

Diel activity patterns in the breeding migrations of winter-breeding anurans

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