Herpetology Notes, volume 7: 615-617 (2014) (published online on 12 November 2014) Visual signaling in Hylarana chalconota at Cibodas Botanical Garden, West Java, Indonesia Mohamad Isnin Noer1,* and Andika Mardiansyah2 Communication is the system used by organism to send Hylarana species, Hylarana chalconota from West information by means of signal transmission (Rendall et Java, Indonesia. al., 2009). In anurans, acoustic signaling is the main form Hylarana chalconota is a medium sized frog found in of communication utilized in variable social contexts Sumatra, Java, and Bali (Figure 1). This species inhabits (Duellman and Trueb, 1994). However, some species various habitats, from riparian areas in undisturbed that inhabit acoustically noisy environments employ tropical rainforest to areas near human settlement, visual signals as well, by using body movements (Hödl fishponds or paddy fields (Iskandar, 1998; Kurniati, and Amézquita, 2001; Lindquist and Hetherington, 2006). It is frequently found perching on leaves of 1996). herbaceous plants that surround slow- to fast-moving Studies of anuran visual signals are limited to streams. Hylarana chalconota produces low-energetic diurnal species, as indicated by the growing number of calls (Kurniati et al., 2010). literature about this topic (Hödl and Amézquita, 2001). Behaviors of Hylarana chalconota were observed Meanwhile, visual signals in nocturnal frogs have been in an artificial pond at Cibodas Botanical Garden (6 often neglected (Buchanan, 1998), although indications 44’ 38” S, 107 0’ 25” E). This pond has slow-moving for small visual repertoires exists among nocturnal water with a little outlet. Frogs were seen in quite large species (Hödl and Amézquita, 2001). However, many numbers and apparently use the pond for breeding. nocturnal frogs are endowed with a visual system that No other anuran species were found in the vicinity. very sensitive to very low illumination (Cummings, et Comprehensive sampling was used to observe the al., 2008) and is used during a variety of activities. Such behaviors of the frogs. Observation started by searching visual acuity has been assumed to be a considerable for individuals with a flashlight. Once an individual factor to explain the evolution of visual communication was located, we turned off the flashlight to minimize in nocturnal frogs (Hartmann et al., 2005). stress due to the excessive illumination. Then, we Most visual communication research focuses on Neotropical frogs, while the visual signals performed by Indo-Malayan frogs are less explored, being known in the genus Staurois (Preininger et al., 2009; Grafe and Wanger, 2007; Grafe et al., 2012), Micrixalus (Preininger et al., 2013), and Hylarana (Grafe, 2008). Visual signaling in Hylarana has so far only been reported in Hylarana baramica, which is displaying toe waving to lure potential prey (Grafe, 2008). Here, we present observations of visual signals in another 1 Biology Department, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia 2 Al-Izhar High School, Jakarta, Indonesia * Corresponding author e-mail: [email protected] Figure 1. Hylarana chalconota 616 Mohamad Isnin Noer & Andika Mardiansyah Figure 2. Visual signals performed by Hylarana chalconota, A: limb lifting, B: leg kicking immediately recorded the behavior of individuals using visual signals that function as territorial defenses in a Sony DCR-PC109 camcorder equipped with infrared male-male interactions. Our results agree with Hödl night vision positioned 50 cm from the study subject. and Amézquita (2001), who previously stated that The observations were ended after individuals jumped visual signaling varies among taxa. Understanding the into the water. The video was analyzed frame-by-frame evolution of visual signal in Hylarana chalconota is with video coding software Solomon Coder (Péter, not straightforward, since this species is nocturnal and 2011) to define the kind of visual signal that individuals lives in a number of different environments with various were engaged in. Description of visual signals followed levels of noise. Possible explanations for the evolution Hödl and Amézquita (2001). of visual signaling in this species are low intensity calls On 23 March 2014, at 21.45, the temperature was (Kurniati et al., 2010) and kicking movements during warm (approximately 230 C) and there was negligible physical combat. The low-energetic calls produced by moonlight due to the presence of substantial cloud Hylarana chalconota could cause a decrease in the cover. One male of H. chalconota was observed at signal-to-noise ratio, hence this species needs to utilize the drainage channel of the pond attempting to defend additional modes of communication to overcome this his territory from another male. He was trying to alert problem. The association between low intensity calls his neighboring male (approximately 50 cm away) by and the occurrence of visual communication had also performing limb movements as visual cues, but did not been studied in B. ephippium (Pombal et al., 1994). In emit acoustic signals. Visual signals included quick addition to low-energetic calls, the kicking movements limb lifting (foot lifting and arm lifting) and leg kicking performed during physical attacks have been suggested (Figure 2). Foot lifting and leg kicking were performed as precursors of ritualized visual signals used in an using left limb, whereas arm liftings were displayed agonistic context (Caldart et al., 2014). using both hands alternately. In addition, limb lifting was also observed in second male positioned on the edge References of the pond while engaging in agonistic interaction with another male. This signal was observed in the individual Preininger, D., Boeckle, M., Hödl, W. (2009): Communication in just shortly after having had a fight with another male. noisy environments I: acoustic signals of Staurois latopalmatus During a fight, a male was seen trying to dislodge his Boulenger 1887. Herpetologica 65: 154-165. Buchanan, B.W. 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