The Herpetological Journal

pp. 31-40
Authors: Gambale, Priscilla G. & Bastos, Rogério P.

Abstract: We investigated the influence of air and water temperature, relative humidity, morphological characteristics and distance between males on call parameters of Physalaemus cuvieri. We also compared advertisement and courtship calls recorded for the species. Field observations were carried out between September 2011 and March 2012, in nine water bodies in the north west of Paraná state, southern Brazil. Males of P. cuvieri emitted advertisement and courtship calls in different social contexts, and all acoustic parameters except dominant frequency differed between types of call. Call duration, minimum frequency and sound pressure level (SPL) of advertisement calls were classified as static properties and other parameters were classified as intermediate properties. All acoustic parameters varied more between males than within males. We observed a negative relationship between air temperature and call duration, and a positive relationship between relative humidity and SPL and dominant frequency. Snout-vent length was negatively correlated with minimum frequency. The distance between individuals was negatively correlated with call duration, maximum frequency and frequency range, and positively correlated with dominant frequency. Changes in acoustic parameters depending on environmental, morphological and social parameters are important to expand the information about the evolution of sexual selection and aggressive interactions.

Keywords: COEFFICIENT OF VARIATION, VOCALISATIONS, ADVERTISEMENT CALL, COURTSHIP CALL, AGGRESSIVE INTERACTIONS