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Ample active acoustic space of a frog from the South American temperate forest

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Abstract

The efficiency of acoustic communication depends on the power generated by the sound source, the attributes of the environment across which signals propagate, the environmental noise and the sensitivity of the intended receivers. Eupsophus emiliopugini, an anuran from the temperate austral forest communicates by means of an advertisement call of moderate intensity within the range for anurans. To estimate the range over which these frogs communicate effectively, we conducted measurements of call sound levels and of auditory thresholds to pure tones and to synthetic conspecific calls. The results show that E. emiliopugini produces advertisement calls of about 84 dB SPL at 0.25 m from the caller. The signals are affected by attenuation as they propagate, reaching average values of about 47 dB SPL at 8 m from the sound source. Midbrain multi-unit recordings show quite sensitive audiograms within the anuran range, with thresholds of about 44 dB SPL for synthetic imitations of conspecific calls, which would allow communication at distances beyond 8 m. This is an extended range as compared to E. calcaratus, a related syntopic species for which a previous study has shown to be restricted to active acoustic spaces shorter than 2 m. The comparison reveals divergent strategies for related taxa communicating amid the same environment.

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Abbreviations

SPL:

Sound pressure level

RMS:

Root mean square

BTL:

Best threshold of the low-frequency region

BTH:

Best threshold of the high-frequency region

CFH:

Center frequency of the high-frequency region

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Acknowledgments

Lucas Estrella and Juan Panza helped in the field measurements, and Matías Muñoz helped with the electrophysiological recordings. Corporación Nacional Forestal (CONAF) authorized our work in the Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park and Servicio Agrícola y Ganadero (SAG) extended permits for capture of specimens of E. emiliopugini. The procedures used comply with the bioethical regulations of the University of Chile (Protocol CBA# 061 FMUCH). Research supported by FONDECYT Grants 1960859 and 1110939.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Fisiología y Biofísica, Facultad de Medicina, Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 70005, Correo 7, Santiago, Chile

    Mario Penna

  2. Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Evolutivas, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile

    Felipe N. Moreno-Gómez

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  1. Mario Penna
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Correspondence to Mario Penna.

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Penna, M., Moreno-Gómez, F.N. Ample active acoustic space of a frog from the South American temperate forest. J Comp Physiol A 200, 171–181 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-013-0875-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00359-013-0875-x

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