Frog call intensities and sound propagation in the South American temperate forest region

Penna, Mario; Solı́s, Rigoberto

doi:10.1007/s002650050452

Cited by 92 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Regarding amphibians, the limited information available shows little agreement on the potential of the AAH to account for observed call patterns (Bosch and De la Riva 2004). This could be due to inconsistencies between the scale of observation and the scale at which mechanisms operate when call flexibility is involved (Zimmerman 1983;Penna and Solís 1998;Kime et al 2000;Bosch and De la Riva 2004).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking amphibian call structure to the environment: the interplay between phenotypic flexibility and individual attributes

2011

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The structure of the environment surrounding signal emission produces different patterns of degradation and attenuation. The expected adjustment of calls to ensure signal transmission in an environment was formalized in the acoustic adaptation hypothesis. Within this framework, most studies considered anuran calls as fixed attributes determined by local adaptations. However, variability in vocalizations as a product of phenotypic expression has also been reported. Empirical evidence supporting the association between environment and call structure has been inconsistent, particularly in anurans. Here, we identify a plausible causal structure connecting environment, individual attributes, and temporal and spectral adjustments as direct or indirect determinants of the observed variation in call attributes of the frog Hypsiboas pulchellus. For that purpose, we recorded the calls of 40 males in the field, together with vegetation density and other environmental descriptors of the calling site. Path analysis revealed a strong effect of habitat structure on the temporal parameters of the call, and an effect of site temperature conditioning the size of organisms calling at each site and thus indirectly affecting the dominant frequency of the call. Experimental habitat modification with a styrofoam enclosure yielded results consistent with field observations, highlighting the potential role of call flexibility on detected call patterns. Both, experimental and correlative results indicate the need to incorporate the so far poorly considered role of phenotypic plasticity in the complex connection between environmental structure and individual call attributes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Linking amphibian call structure to the environment: the interplay between phenotypic flexibility and individual attributes

2011

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“…Male frogs commonly aggregate in large numbers during a breeding season and produce advertisement calls to attract gravid females as mates (reviewed in Gerhardt and Huber, 2002). Advertisement calls are loud (Gerhardt, 1975;Penna and Solís, 1998), and the levels of noise generated in breeding choruses are often intense (Narins, 1982) and may be heard from distances of up to 2 km (Arak, 1983). In many species, reproduction requires that females successfully detect a calling male, recognize it as a conspecific based on speciesspecific call properties, and localize it in the structurally and acoustically complex habitat of a breeding chorus (reviewed in Gerhardt and Huber, 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sound level discrimination by gray treefrogs in the presence and absence of chorus-shaped noise

Bee

Vélez

Forester

2012

The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America

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An important aspect of hearing and acoustic communication is the ability to discriminate differences in sound level. Little is known about level discrimination in anuran amphibians (frogs and toads), for which vocal communication in noisy social environments is often critical for reproduction. This study used two-choice phonotaxis tests to investigate the ability of females of Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis) to discriminate between two advertisement calls differing only in sound pressure level by 2, 4, or 6 dB. Tests were conducted in the presence and absence of chorusshaped noise (73 dB) and using two different ranges of signal levels (73-79 dB and 79-85 dB). Females discriminated between two signals differing by as little as 2-4 dB. In contrast to expectations based on the "near miss to Weber's law" in birds and mammals, level discrimination was slightly better at the lower range of signal amplitudes, a finding consistent with earlier studies of frogs and insects. Realistic levels of background noise simulating a breeding chorus had no discernable effect on discrimination at the sound level differences tested in this study. These results have important implications for studies of auditory masking and signaling behavior in the contexts of anuran hearing and sound communication.

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“…Little evidence for habitat effects has been found in studies in which the calls of various species of anurans have been played back in different habitats (Penna and Solís 1998;Kime et al 2000;Feng and Schul, Chapter 11). This state of affairs is perhaps not so surprising if frogs and toads do not use long-range acoustic signals to locate breeding areas (Section 2.1).…”

Section: Geographical Variation and Habitat Acousticsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Recognition and Localization of Acoustic Signals

Gerhardt¹,

Bee²

Springer Handbook of Auditory Research

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Frog call intensities and sound propagation in the South American temperate forest region

Cited by 92 publications

References 49 publications

Linking amphibian call structure to the environment: the interplay between phenotypic flexibility and individual attributes

Linking amphibian call structure to the environment: the interplay between phenotypic flexibility and individual attributes

Sound level discrimination by gray treefrogs in the presence and absence of chorus-shaped noise

Recognition and Localization of Acoustic Signals

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