Selection of calling sites by Pelophylax porosus porosus (Anura: Ranidae)

Abstract

In frogs, males generally use calls to attract conspecific females for breeding. Previous studies suggest that male frogs can effectively attract females by calling from an open environment, which has the advantages of avoiding the diminishing of their calls and increasing attractiveness to females by bimodal (acoustic + visual) signal. However, males calling from open sites, would be more easily detected by predators due to their exposed bodies. Male frogs may need to select a calling site that is suitable for environmental conditions to enhance their survival rate and mating success. In the present study, we examined the selection of calling sites by Pelophylax porosus porosus male, whose predators are mostly diurnal. As a results, P. p. porosus males tended to select vegetation-shaded water surfaces as daytime calling sites and select open water surfaces as night calling sites. Our results suggest that choice of calling sites by P. p. porosus males depends on whether it is daytime or night, because of differences in predation risk between daytime and night. The selection of a calling site suitable for each situation is expected to increase the fitness of the male frogs.

Keywords

• frog
• amphibia
• breeding behavior
• predation risk