The advertisement calls of Pristimantis galdi Jiménez de la Espada, 1870 and Pristimantis katoptroides (Flores, 1988) (Anura, Strabomantidae)

Abstract

In this study we describe for the first time the calls of Pristimantis galdi and Pristimantis katoptroides. Recordings were obtained in Sangay National Park, Ecuador. We highlight the importance of recording P. galdi since its call has been recorded after 153 years of having been described as a species. The call of P. galdi consists of 7 to 9 short notes, the sounds of which are similar to a hammer hitting a nail, with a mean dominant frequency of 2.39 kHz. In turn, the call of P. katoptroides consists of a single note, the sound of which is similar to a metallic “tic”, with a mean dominant frequency of 1.74 kHz. We compared the advertisement calls of P. galdi, P. katoptroides and P. roni as these species share similar morphological characteristics and are grouped in the spiny green frog’s ecotype. Despite these morphological similarities, their advertisement calls are different. Obtaining calls of Pristimantis species in Ecuador might prove difficult with short-term studies due to the great sampling efforts that may be needed to get these recordings. Therefore, implementing active and passive monitoring could help improve our knowledge of acoustic signals in Ecuador’s rainfrogs.