The release call as a diagnostic character between cryptic related species Odontophrynus cordobae and O. americanus (Anura: Cycloramphidae)

GRENAT, PABLO R.; MARTINO, ADOLFO L.

ZOOTAXA

MAGNOLIA PRESS

Lugar: Auckland; Año: 2013 vol. 3635 p. 583 - 586

1175-5326

Release vocalizations are produced by male anurans in response to male mating attempts. The aims of present study were: 1) to describe the release call of Odontophrynus americanus; 2) to compare release calls of cryptic species O. cordobae and O. americanus; 3) to evaluate release calls as diagnostic character to distinguish between these species. We analyzed 145 release calls of O. cordobae and O. americanus. Three syntopic individuals of each species were included within this sample. The release calls of O. cordobae and O. americanus differed statistically in all acoustic parameters when univariated analyses of variance were performed (p<0.01). DFA based on three uncorrelated acoustic parameters (Call Duration, Dominant Frequency and Pulse Rate) yielded a single highly significant function strongly correlated with Pulse Rate. We obtained a reclassification rate of individuals within its own species of 100%. These results, combined with the simplicity to induce this type of vocalizations, shows that release call could represent a powerful diagnostic character to distinguish between this pair of cryptic species.