Abstract
The mating calls of the toads Bufo americanus, B. fowled, and their natural hybrids were recorded in May 1981 at Long Point, Ontario, on the northern shore of Lake Erie. The calls of the two species differed substantially in pulse rate and call duration but much less so in terms of dominant frequency. The numbers of pulses per call were not significantly different. Calls of hybrids were intermediate in character. Values for pulse rate, call duration, and dominant frequency agreed with those previously described. The relationship between pulse rate and call duration is hyperbolic as pulse number appears to be relatively constant. The differences in the calls of B. americanus and B. fowled appear to be fundamentally due to mechanical properties of the pulse modulating apparatus of the larynx. The characteristics of the calls of the hybrids may be due to intermediate morphology of the laryngeal cartilages that modulate the pulses of a call.
Published Version
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