Berkeley – Most frogs spread a normal frog to attract a mate’s attention. But a few frog species that call near high currents – where the sound can hide those vital love songs – add to their calls by showing visually with a hand flap, foot wave or bobbin the head. Frogs that “dance” near rush streams have been recorded in the rainforests of India, Borneo, Brazil and, now, Ecuador.
Conservation ecologist Rebecca Brunner, Ph.D. a candidate at the University of California, Berkeley, has discovered that the glass frog Sachatamia orejuela can be added to the list of species that use visual cues in response to their acoustic environments. This is the first time a member of the glass frog family (Centrolenidae) has been observed using visual communication in this way.
“A handful of other frog species around the world use visual cues, as well as loud notifications, to communicate in very high altitude environments,” Brunner said. “The interesting thing is that these species are not. closely related to each other, which means that these behaviors appear to have evolved independently, but in response to similar environments – a concept known as convergent evolution. ”
Sachatamia orejuela glass frogs are native to the rainforests of Ecuador and Colombia. They are particularly special because they are found almost exclusively on rocks and boulders within waterfall spray zones, where ash water and a slippery surface provide little protection against predators, and the color is green. gray and the semi-transparent skin make them almost impossible to see. . As a result, we have little information about the breeding and breeding behavior of this species.
Brunner, who studies the bioacoustics of various ecological environments, deep in a chest in Ecuadorean rainforest streams was recording the call of Sachatamia orejuela when she first saw this visual sign behavior. As soon as she saw the frog lift its front and rear legs again, Brunner climbed a slippery rock face and balanced on one leg to get video views of the behavior.
“I was already on the moon because I had finally found a male after months of research. Prior to its publication, there was no official record of the call of this species, and such basic information is very important for conservation, “Brunner said. “But then I saw him start making those little waves, and I knew I was seeing something even more special.”
As she filmed, the frog continued to shake his hands and feet and bow his head. She also saw a glass male Sachatamia orejuela a few meters away performing the same actions.
“This is a very interesting discovery because it is a great example of how an environmental landscape can affect the species that live there. We have found that Sachatamia has a high demand. orejuela, which helps him communicate above the lower white.The sound of waterfalls.And then discover that he also shakes his hands and feet to make me more likely to notice – that ‘s a behavior I’ve always loved reading about in textbooks, so it’ s more than just another wonderful opportunity to share an example with the world, “Brunner said.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic has stalled Brunner ‘s fieldwork, she hopes to return to Ecuador soon to continue her research, which links bioacoustics and conservation.
“One of the best things about fieldwork is that nature is always full of weird things – you never know what you’ll find,” Brunner said. “I hope our decisions can serve as a reminder that we are sharing this planet with amazing biodiversity. Preserving ecosystems that support species like Sachatamia orejuela is important not only for our well-being, but also for our sense of wonder. ”
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Juan M. Guayasamin, professor of biology at Universidad San Francisco de Quito, co-authored this research, which appears in the journal Behavior. Brunner’s fieldwork was supported by the National Geographic Explorer Grant (EC-57058R-19) and the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship.
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