Filling the gap of phonation in reptiles: First record of oral emission of the worm lizard, Amphisbaena alba

Abstract

AbstractSo far, the phonation among worm lizards (Amphisbaenia) was virtually unknown, but herein we present for the first time a loud and clear record of sound emission by an amphisbaenian and its acoustic parameters. We observed an adult female of Amphisbaena alba emitting a high‐pitched sound, able to be heard a few meters away by a human ear. The sound was emitted with the mouth wide open and consisted of a short well‐defined note, presenting harmonics and frequency modulation. Based on the context of display and the body posture of the individual, we suggest that the oral emission of A. alba may be considered a defensive sound emission. However, based on the spectral structure of emission within hearing acuity reported for the species, we cannot disregard the possibility that this sound might act in communication with conspecifics. Beyond raising possible defensive and intra‐specific communication roles for the sound emissions of worm lizards, our findings contribute to the understanding of acoustic communication in tetrapods through the analysis of sounds produced by these fossorial reptiles.