Iberolacerta ARRTBAS, 1997 (Squamata: Sauria: Lacertidae)
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HERPETOZOA 29 (314): 17s - l8l t75 Wien, 30. Jänner 2017 First evidence of sound production in the genus Iberolacerta ARRTBAS, 1997 (Squamata: Sauria: Lacertidae) ErsterNachweis einer ti$äl3#ä: Annrees, Iee7 3;L*;i f:Hfuf;-tacerta RoeeRro Gancie-Roe & Drpco Lrusm & Pnen Löpnz & JosE MARTIN KURZFASST'NG .I-aytäuße_ryp99 spielen eine Schlüsselrolle in einer Vielzahl von Interaktionen zuvischen artgleichen und -verschiedenen Individuen. Doch im Vergleich mit anderen Sinnesleistungen wird der Akustik bei Feptilien nur wenlg Aufinerksamkeit geschenkt. Innerhalb der Lacertidae wird Fehlen und Vorhandensein von Lautäußerungen als ein U-nterscheidungsmerkmal zwischen den Unterfamilien Gallotinae und Lacertinae angesehen, wobei letztäre, höchst diverse Unterfamilie als mehrheitlich nicht stimmbegabt betrachtet wird. Mit Hilfe von Bild- und lonaufzeichnungen berichten die Autoren erstmals über die Lautäußerungen bei Iberolacerta cyreni (Mürrrr. & HELLMIcH, 1937), einer europäischen Felseidechsenart. Tonaufnahmen eiies Ex- emplars.im Freiland geben kurze nasale quietschende Laute *ieder, die hinsichtlich des Mechanismus der Schall- qrgdyktlo1 und der,akustischen Merkmale Ahnlichkeit mit den Lauten nahe verwandter Lacertidenarten zeigen. Die funktionale Bedeutung derartiger Lautäußerungen ist unklar, doch weisen die akustischen Merkmale und'der Verhaltenskontext aufdie_Möglichkeit eines bei Gefahr abgegebenen Schreckrufs hin. Die vorliegenden Beobach- tungen lasserr vermuten, daß sich die Fähigkeit zur Lautproduktion bei verschiedenen systematisclen Gruppen der Halsbandeidechsen entwickelt hat und, auch wenn selten eingesetzt, weiter verbreitet ist als erwartet. ABSTRACT Sound_production plays a key role in a broad range ofanimal interactions among both conspecifics and het- 91ospe9ificg. Yet less attention has been paid to acoustic communication in reptiles thän to other iensorial modal- ities. WithinLacertidae,thepresenceorabsenceofvocalbehaviorhasbeenröfenedasadistinctivetraitbetween their two subfamilies Gallotinae and Lacertinae, being the latter the most diverse group of lacertid lizards and con- sidered to be mainly silent. Usingimage _ and sound recordings, the authors report for the first time the ability to sound production in a European rock lizard species. Recorded sounds of a free-ranging female of the Carpetan Rock L izird Iberolacerta cyreni (MisrrF]. & HBU-vrcr, 1937),were short nasal squeak-like sounds showing ä similar production mechanism and acoustic characteristics to_ sounds emitted by closely related lacertid speciesl Functionäl significance of such a sound activity is unclear, although its acoustic characteristics and behavibral context point ouithat these sounds might function as distress calls. The present findings suggest that the ability to sound production might have er'rolved at different systematic groups across lacertid lizards and, even if spoiadically usöd, is more wiäespread than previously expected. KEYWORDS __ _Reptilia: Squamata. Sauria: Lacertidae; Iberolacerta cyreni;behavior, acoustic communication; distress calls; lizard vocalization; Iberian Peninsula INTRODUCTION Sound enables animals to convey in- (Snancv & Nowrcrr 2005). In some condi- formation to conspecifics and heterospe- tions, acoustic cues are more efficiently cifics in a wide array of social interactions propagated and detected than those from and encounters, including mate choice, ter- other sensorial modalities (RosnNruar- & ritorial defense, or antipredator responses RvaN 2000). Moreover, they are also used R. GARciA-RoA & D. LLUSIA & P. L6pBz & J. MARTiN together with other cues in multimodal sig- vocalizations in the subfamily Lacertinae, naling, particularly in agonistic or aggres- the most diverse group of lacertid lizards, sive behavior, to enhance receivers'respon- with 19 genera and approximately 100 siveness (NenrNs et al. 2003). species, have been scarcely recorded, and In reptiles, less attention has been correspond to only a few species (BöHIrln et paid to acoustic communication than in al. 1985; Ounoren 1990). other groups or to other sensorial modali- Here, the authors report the first evi- ties, such as visual and chemical communi- dence of sound production in the Archaeo- cation (FnaNKENBERG & WsnNen 1992; lacerta group sensu lato, one ofthe histori- ManriN & Löprz 20 14; Wrrr-rs er al. 2014). cal species groups within Lacertinae. Crocodiles, geckos, and some species of Image and sound recordings, provide a lizards are known to vocalize during repro- detailed acoustic characteization of sounds ductive season, aggressive interactions or emitted by a free-ranging Carpetan Rock distress behavior (FneNxrNnrnc & WEn- Lizard Iberolacerta cyreni (MünEn & Npn 1984; Hreerrrs et al.200l; VERGNE et Hprrvrrcn, 1937), as well as a description al. 2009). Within lacertid lizards (Lacer- of sound production mechanism, behavior, tidae), the ability to sound production has and context. The functional significance of traditionally been referred as one of the such a sound activity is discussed. To the behavioral traits separating its two subfam- best ofthe authors'knowledge, no record- ilies (Serveron & Pr-ecuEZUELos 2013). ings ofEuropean rock lizards (Iberolacerta Lizards belonging to the subfamily Gallo- spp.) nor lizards within the Archaeolacerta tiinae, which comprises two genera and 16 group s. lat. are available to date, despite of species (PvnoN etal.2013), are able to pro- the increasing interest aroused in their duce sounds in inter- and intra-specific behavioral ecology and evolution (ManriN interactions (Böhme et al. 1985). However, 20ts). MATERIALS AND METHODS Iberolacerta cyreni is a medium-sized ST23i, Tokyo, Japan) was obtained at a dis- lizard, endemic of Sistema Central, the cen- tance of around 1.5-2 m from the subject. tral mountain range of the Iberian Pen- Subsequently, an audio file (48 kHz, l6-bit) insula, where it inhabits rocky highlands was extracted from this recording with near the treeline (> 1,700 m a.s.l.). This YLC 2.0.6 (Video LAN, Paris, France) and species belongs to European rock lizards, analyzed with Raven 1.4 (Cornell Uni- which were historically included in Ar- versity, Ithaca, USA). For each sound, a chaeolacerta group ,r. /al. (CamaNzd. et al. total of 10 acoustic parameters were meas- 2004). ured using both oscillogram and spectro- In May to September 2014, adult indi- gram: 5 in the temporal domain and 5 in the viduals were captured in the "Cerro Del spectral domain (Table l). Spectral param- Tel6grafo" (23"10' 12"N, 102'53' 19"W Si- eters were calculated through a fast short- erra de Guadarrama, Spain) to gain behav- term Fourier transform (FFT) set at a length ior and morphology data. During subse- of 512 points with 90 oÄ overlap between quent release of individuals (August 7, successive Hanning windows, providing a 2014), a free-ranging female basking on a resolution of 135 Hz ar'd 10.6 ms. Band- rock immediately began to emit serial stop frequency filter (0-0.3 kHz) and peak sounds upon the observer's approach. After normalization (100 Yo) were applied with three series of sound production, the speci- Raven 1.4 to the audio recordings before men fled and hid in an underground refuge. parameter measurements. The R package During this activity, images of the focal "seewave" was used to create visual repre- individual were taken (Canon 450D, lens sentations of a characteristic sound (Sueun 18-55 mm) and a 22 second digital film re- et al. 2008). cording (MPG4 format, Sony Xperia Miro Sound production in lberolacerta cyreni t'77 Table 1: Description of acoustic parameters measwed in a vocalizing female of lberolacerta cyreni (MüLLER & Hnr-rurcH, 1937). Hz - Hefiz,s - seconds. Tab. 1: Beschreibung der bei den Lautäußenrngen eines Weibchens von lberolacerta cyreni (Mürrnn & Hru-rr.ricn, 1937) untersuchten akustischen Meßgrößen. Hz -Hertz, s - Sekunden. Parameter Description of the measurement / Meßwertdefinition Note duration (s) / Time (s) from the onset to the end of one sound, as shown in an oscillogram Rufdauer (s) Zeit (s) vom Beginn bis zum Ende des Rufs wie im Oszillogramm angezeigt Inter-note interval (s) / Time (s) from the end ofone sound to the onset oftle next sound Rufintervall (s) Zeit (s) vom Ende eines Rufs bis zum Beginn des folgenden Rufs Rise duration / Time (s) from the onset to the point of the maximum amplitude of one sound Anstiegszeit (s) Zeit (s) vom Rufbeginn bis zum Zeitpunkt der maximalen Rufamplitude Fall duration (s) i Time (s) from the point of the maximum amplitude to the end of one sound Abfallzeit (s) Zeit (s) vom Zeitpunkt der maximalen Rufamplitude bis zum Rufende Rise ratio (%) / Percentage (%) ofrise duration relative to note duration Anstiegsverhältnis (%) Anteil (%) der Anstiegszeit an der Rufdauer Dominant frequency (Hz) / Frequency (Hz) at which sound energy ofone sound is maximum Dominante Frequenz (Hz) Jene Frequenz (Hz) eines Rufs mit der maximalen Schallenergie Fundamental frequency (Hz) / Frequency (IIz) ofthe lowest harmonic ofone sound Grundfrequenz (Hz) Die tiefste Frequenz (Hz) im harmonischen Frequenzgemisch eines Rufs Maximum frequency (Hz) / Frequency (Hz) of the highest harmonic of one sound Ma.ximalfrequenz (Hz) Die höchste Frequenz (Hz) im harmonischen Frequenzgemisch eines Rufs Number of frequency bands / Total number of frequency bands in one sound Frequenzbandzahl Die Gesamtzahl der Frequenzb?inder eines Rufs Frequency modulation (Hz) / Difference in dominant frequency (Hz) between the first and the last 10 % Modulation der dominan-