Acoustic Communication in the Kihansi Spray Toad (Nectophrynoides asperginis): Insights from a Captive Population

作者：Arch Victoria S^*; Richards Zawaki Corinne L; Feng Albert S

来源：Journal of Herpetology, 2011, 45(1): 45-49.

DOI：10.1670/10-084.1

Acoustic signals play an important role in intraspecific communication for most anurans. We investigated the vocal signals, communication, and ear morphology of captive Kihansi Spray Toads (Nectophrynoides asperginis), an Extinct in the Wild diurnal species that is endemic to a specialized spray zone created by waterfalls of the Kihansi River Gorge in Tanzania. We found that N. asperginis have reduced ears, and their calls are soft and simple, comprising short call notes with a fundamental frequency of similar to 4.1 kHz and harmonics extending into the ultrasonic range. Observations of the toads' interactions while calling indicate that males call primarily when they are in visual contact or behaviorally engaged with a conspecific. These observations suggest that social interactions in Spray Toads likely involve multimodal sensory communication. Nectophrynoides asperginis has apparently adapted to communicate amid high-level ambient noise produced by the waterfalls in its native environment by specializing in short-range communication within high-density aggregations.

• 出版日期2011-3