Influence of burrow acoustics on sound reception by frogs Eupsophus (Leptodactylidae)

Abstract

The effect of burrow acoustics on the reception of sounds by a leptodactylid frog, Eupsophus emiliopugini, from Southern Chile was investigated. Burrows occupied by E. emiliopugini males amplified vocalizations produced by conspecific individuals calling nearby and conspecific calls played back through a speaker positioned in the vicinity of the burrow by 5.2 dB (N = 4) and 4.3 dB (N =5) on average, respectively. The spectral contents of calls recorded from inside burrows matched the resonant frequencies of the cavities measured with pure tones. Playback calls of a sympatric species, Batrachyla antartandica, which have spectra that do not overlap E. emiliopugini calls, were not amplified inside burrows to the same extent. Amplification of conspecific calls inside burrows may influence vocal interactions in chorusing assemblages of E. emiliopugini. © 1996 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.