The Mating Call and Male Release Call of Bufo raddei Strauch, 1876 with Some Phylogenetic Implications

Abstract

The mating call of Bufo raddei is analyzed and described for the first time. Although species-specific, important parameters (call duration, amplitude-time waveform of single pulses, absence of interpulse intervals at higher body temperatures) of the mating call show a similar structure to those of the allopatric Bufo calamita , mainly differing by lower pulse rates. B. raddei mating calls differ from those of diploid, triploid and tetraploid representatives of the parapatric Eurasian Bufo viridis complex which have a pulsed structure with distinct interpulse intervals. The release call of male B. raddei consists of a single pulse group with slight frequency modulation and appears similar to the release call of B. calamita , but differs from those in the B. viridis complex which always are subdivided in pulse groups. We suggest the occurrence of two different types of amplitude modulation as an indication for a possible divergence of two evolutionary lineages, the B. calamita / B. raddei lineage and the B. viridis complex lineage. Furthermore, we compare these results with other published phylogenetic data on these taxa.