Exploring the acoustic diversity of Andean frogs in the Farallones de Cali National Natural Park, southwestern Colombia

Abstract

ABSTRACT The advertisement calls that frogs emit in a reproductive context are among the most conspicuous and studied acoustic signals. They play a significant role in interspecific recognition, mate selection, and territoriality and can be used in different fields such as taxonomy, ethology, ecology, and evolutionary studies. In Colombia, around 40% of the recognized frog species have descriptions of their calls in the literature. However, the Cordillera Occidental in the tropical Andes and the Strabomantidae family are underrepresented in the literature despite the huge species diversity they hold. Here, we described the advertisement calls of eleven frog species belonging to three families from three localities at high elevations in the Cordillera Occidental, which have been inaccessible to scientific research due to security concerns. We describe the advertisement calls of five Pristimantis species for the first time and estimated the daily acoustic activity patterns of four Pristimantis species. Our findings enhance the number of known advertisement calls for anuran species from one of the least-represented regions and families in the country. In addition, they provide important information regarding the natural history of four Pristimantis species that could be used as a baseline for future long-term population studies.