Distress Call and Defensive Display of Proceratophrys Cristiceps (Müller, 1883) (Amphibia, Anura, Odontophrynidae)
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Herpetology Notes, volume 8: 11-14 (2015) (published online on 26 January 2015) Distress call and defensive display of Proceratophrys cristiceps (Müller, 1883) (Amphibia, Anura, Odontophrynidae) Sarah Mângia1,2,* and Adrian Antonio Garda2 Amphibians have several morphological, displays for Proceratophrys cristiceps from Estação physiological, and behavioural features, which alone or Ecológica do Seridó, municipality of Serra Negra do combined provide protection from potential predators Norte, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. (Duellman and Trueb, 1994). When grasped by a We collected a male of P. cristiceps (SVL 46.9 mm) predator, frogs may emit distress calls (Bogert, 1960; on May 09 2013 at Estação Ecológica do Seridó, Serra Hödl and Gollmann, 1986; Toledo and Haddad, 2009). Negra do Norte municipality (S 6º 36’ 39.7” W 37º This type of call is characterized by loud, explosive 15’ 04.4”), Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. When vocalizations emitted by males, females, and juveniles we positioned the animal to make a photograph, once in response to disturbance of potential predators (Wells, stressed by the researcher the individual emitted 11 2007). The distress call might also be accompanied by distress calls. The distress calls and the defensive warning displays, like puffing up the body, which is a behaviours were recorded with a Canon 60D. The common defensive behaviour among anurans (Wells, audio was taken from a video file (.mov format) and 2007; Toledo et al., 2011; Vargas-Salinas and Aponte- saved in .wav format using Raven Pro 1.5 (Cornell Gutierrez, 2013). Puffing up behaviour consists in Lab of Ornithology), at a sampling rate of 48,000 Hz filling the lungs with air, enlarging the frog’s size to and 16 bit resolution. Sound analyses were performed discourage the predator (Duellman and Trueb, 1994; using Raven Pro 1.5, and the audiospectrograms were Toledo et al., 2011). produced with the following parameters: FFT = 512, The genus Proceratophrys is widely distributed in South overlap 50, and DFT 512. Call terminologies follow America (Teixeira-Jr. et al., 2012). However, ecology Duellman and Trueb (1994). The frame sequence of the and natural history of this genus are poorly known. Only behaviours was extracted using iMovie Version 9.0.9. stiff-legged behaviour is known as part of the defensive A voucher specimen (CHUFPB 5528) is deposited at repertory for the genus (e.g. Sazima, 1978; Costa et al., Coleção Herpetológica da Universidade Federal da 2009; Weygoldt, 1986; Moura et al., 2010; Peixoto et Paraíba (Collecting permit ICMBio 39288-1). al., 2013). Herein, we add new types of behaviours to The distress call of Proceratophrys cristiceps is the defensive repertoire of the genus Proceratophrys. composed of a single, non-pulsed harmonic note (Figure We describe the distress call and a sequence of warning 1), with a mean duration of 0.27 s ± 0.05 (0.21 – 0.36 s). Mean dominant frequency was 1431.8 Hz ± 421.5 (937.5 – 2062.5 Hz) always on the third harmonic. In the oscillogram, the call is linear-shaped. The distress call was emitted with the mouth open, and followed by other four warning displays. The frog puffed up its body, filling the lungs with air, and elevated the body 1 Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Departamento de Sistemática stretching out its arms. It has been suggested that this e Ecologia, Centro de Ciências Exatas e da Natureza, 58.000- behaviour is used to enlarge the size of the frog upon 000, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. seeing a predator (Stebbins and Cohen, 1995; Williams 2 Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Departamento de Botânica e Zoologia, Laboratório de Anfíbios e Répteis et al., 2000; Wells, 2007). The individual showed – LAR, 59078-970, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. another common defensive posture, lowering the head * Corresponding author: [email protected] and elevating the rear part of the body. Lastly, this 12 Sarah Mângia & Adrian Antonio Garda Figure 2. Sequence of the defensive behaviour of a Proceratophrys cristiceps male (CHUFPB 5528; SVL 46.9 mm): (A-B) individual being stressed and puffing the body up; (C) emitting the distress call with open mouth; (D) elevating the body and stretching its arms out; (E) lowering the head and elevating the rear part of the body; and (F) jumping quickly and sequentially. sequence of defensive behaviour of P. cristiceps was defensive strategies including cryptic coloration, followed by quick and sequential jumps in an attempt to distress call and behavioural displays, which combined flee away (Figure 2). probably results in a higher escape chance from Proceratophrys cristiceps is characterized by the potential predators. According to Toledo et al. (2011), presence of cryptic coloration resembling fallen leaves, multiple signalizations may discourage the action of which provides the first line of defence for many adult predators. Likely predators may be intimidated by the amphibians (Wells, 2007). This species presented defensive scream, or by the gaping display, or even may Distress call and defensive display of Proceratophrys cristiceps 13 Figure 1. Oscillogram (A) and audiospectrogram (B) of the distress call of Proceratophrys cristiceps from Estação Ecológica do Seridó, Serra Negra do Norte municipality, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. be intimidated only when multiple signals are displayed Acknowledgements. We thank CNPq and ICMBio for financial (Toledo et al., 2011). support (process #552031/2011-9), along with all the park rangers This is the first record of distress call in the genus at the protected area for help during fieldwork. Proceratophrys, and the first description of a defensive behaviour for an individual of P. cristiceps, showing that References many aspects of the behaviour and ecology of this genus Bogert, C.M. (1960): The influence of sound on the behavior of are still unknown. Another defensive behaviour (stiff- amphibians and reptiles. In: Animal sounds and communication, legged) has been shown for the genus (P. appendiculata p. 137–320. Lanyon, W.E., Tavolga, W.N., Ed., Washington, – Sazima, 1978; P. boiei – Costa et al., 2009; P. D.C. moehringi – Weygoldt, 1986; P. melanopogon – Moura Costa, P.N.; Silva-Soares, T.; Bernstein, L.B. (2009): Defensive et al., 2010; and P. renalis – Peixoto et al., 2013), so it is behaviour of Proceratophrys boiei (Wied-Neuwied, 1824) possible that P. cristiceps also presents this behaviour. (Amphibia, Anura, Cycloramphidae). Herpetology Notes 2: According to Toledo and Haddad (2009), frog size may 227-229. Duellman, W.E., Trueb, L. (1994): Biology of Amphibians. be directly related to the success of acoustic defensive Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press. strategies. Longer and more powerful vocalizations are Hödl, W., Gollmann, G. (1986): Distress call in neotropical frogs. emit by larger anurans, which probably enhances the Amphibia-Reptilia 7: 11-21. chances of survival (Toledo and Haddad, 2009). They Moura, M.R., Santana, D.J., Mângia, S., Feio, R.N. (2010): suggest that small species do not use this defensive Proceratophrys melanopogon. Defensive behavior. behaviour because the distress call may be inefficient to Herpetological Review 41: 479. most or all of their predators. Proceratophrys cristiceps Peixoto, M.A.A., Mângia, S., Rodrigues, R., Santana, D.J. (2013): Defensive behavior in Proceratophrys renalis (Miranda- is considered a medium-sized species, and small (e.g. P. Ribeiro, 1920) (Anura, Odontophrynidae). Herpetology Notes minuta) and larger (e.g. P. laticeps) species are known 6: 479–430. for the genus Proceratophrys as well. Because distress Sazima, I. (1978): Convergent defensive behavior of two leaf-litter call and warning display are known for Proceratophrys frogs of Southeastern Brazil. Biotropica 10: 158. cristiceps, other species of the genus may have similar Stebbins, R.C., Cohen, N.W. (1995): A natural history of behaviours. amphibians. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 14 Sarah Mângia & Adrian Antonio Garda Teixeira-Jr., M; Amaro, R.C., Recoder, R.S., Dalvechio, F., Rodrigues, M.T. (2012): A new dwarf species of Proceratophrys Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 (Anura, Cycloramphidae) from the highlands of Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil. Zootaxa 3551: 25–42. Toledo, L.F., Sazima, I., Haddad, C.F.B. (2011): Behavioural defences of anurans: an overview. Ethology Ecology & Evolution 23: 1–25. Toledo, L.F. Haddad, C.F.B. (2009): Defensive Vocalizations of Neotropical Anurans. South American Journal of Herpetology 4(1): 25-42. Vargas-Salinas, F., Aponte-Gutierrez, A. (2013): A race for survivorship: failed predation on the toad Rhinella humboldti (Gallardo, 1965) by the Cat-eyed snake Leptodeira septentrionalis (Kennicott, 1859). Herpetology Notes 6: 189– 191. Wells, K.D. (2007): The ecology and behavior of amphibians. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Weygoldt, P. (1986): Beobachtungenzurökologie und Biologie Von Froschen an einemneotropischenBergbach. Zoolisch Jahrbücher Systematics 113: 429–454. Williams, C.R., Brodie, E.D.-Jr., Tyler, M.J., Walker, S.J. (2000): Antipredator mechanisms of Australian frogs. Journal of Herpetology 34: 431–443. Accepted by Vinicius Caldart.