Amphibian bioacoustics: From Arch to Zelick

Abstract

Amphibian bioacoustics may be thought to have originated with the first published acoustic playback experiments with frogs 60 years ago. Martof and Thompson (1958, Behavior 13:243–258) and Littlejohn and Michaud (1959, Tex. Jour. Sci.11:86–92) showed that male calls of Pseudacris nigrita in Georgia are effective in attracting conspecific females, and that females of Pseudacris streckeri in Texas can discriminate conspecific calls from heterospecific calls, respectively. Capranica (1965, JASA 40:1131–1139) was the first to electronically synthesize bullfrog calls and to electronically modify (filter) them for use as stimuli in acoustic playback experiments. Since then, all hell broke loose. Reel-to-reel, cassette and DAT tape recorders, were replaced by wideband portable digital machines capable of recording directly to CF cards and/or to high capacity internal hard drives. Sophisticated call synthesis and analysis programs are widely available. Amphibian communication has been studied on six continents and Madagascar and we have gained a more sophisticated appreciation of the production and reception of amphibian airborne signals. Now the challenge is to find new and interesting amphibian bioacoustic questions, and for inspiration, I shall present a brief review of some of the noteworthy experiments of the past. [Work supported by NSF grant #1555734.]