Qiucheng LIU,Tongliang WANG,Xiaofei ZHAI and Jichao WANG.Call Characteristics of Two Sympatric and Morphologically Similar Tree Frogs Species, Polypedates megacephalus and Polypedates mutus (Anura: Rhacophoridae), from Hainan, China[J].Asian Herpetological Research(AHR),2018,9(4):240-249.[doi:10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.180025]

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Call Characteristics of Two Sympatric and Morphologically Similar Tree Frogs Species, Polypedates megacephalus and Polypedates mutus (Anura: Rhacophoridae), from Hainan, China

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Asian Herpetological Research[ISSN:2095-0357/CN:51-1735/Q]

Issue:

2018 VoI.9 No.4

Page:

240-249

Research Field:

Publishing date:

2018-12-25

Info

Title:

Call Characteristics of Two Sympatric and Morphologically Similar Tree Frogs Species, Polypedates megacephalus and Polypedates mutus (Anura: Rhacophoridae), from Hainan, China

Author(s):

Qiucheng LIU;  Tongliang WANG;  Xiaofei ZHAI and Jichao WANG^*

Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Tropical Island Ecology, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou 571158, China

Keywords:

body size;  call characteristics;  Polypedates;  sexual selection

PACS:

-

DOI:

10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.180025

Abstract:

Anuran calls are usually species-specific and therefore valued as a tool for species identification. Call characteristics are a potential honest signal in sexual selection because they often reflect male body size. Polypedates megacephalus and P. mutus are two sympatric and morphologically similar tree frogs, but it remains unknown whether their calls are associated with body size. In this study, we compared call characteristics of these two species and investigated any potential relationships with body size. We found that P. megacephalus, males produced six call types which consisting of three distinct notes, while P. mutus males produced five types consisting of two types of notes. Dominant frequency, note duration, pulse duration, and call duration exhibited significant interspecific differences. In P. megacephalus, one note exhibited a dominant frequency that was negatively correlated with body mass, snout-vent length, head length, and head width. In P. mutus, the duration of one note type was positively correlated with body mass and head width. These differences in call characteristics may play an important role in interspecific recognition. Additionally, because interspecific acoustic variation reflects body size, calls may be relevant for sexual selection. Taken together, our results confirmed that calls are a valid tool for distinguishing between the two tree-frog species in the field.

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