Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus SmiliscaDuellman, William Edward
Science
Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Smilisca
Duellman, William Edward
Amphibians -- Central America; Frogs; Smilisca
The upper frequency range varies within each species and even within the
calls of one individual. _Smilisca phaeota_ has the lowest upper
frequencies; no calls ranged above 4400 cycles per second (cps.), and
half of the calls never exceeded 3000 cps. _Smilisca cyanosticta_
produces calls in which the upper frequency is below 7000 cps. and
usually below 6000 cps. Likewise, _S. puma_ produces calls that are
below 7000 cps., whereas _S. sila_ has frequencies of up to 8400 cps. In
both _S. baudini_ and _S. sordida_, the highest frequencies attained are
about 9100 cps. Variation in the highest frequencies in a series of
consecutive calls by one individual frog was noted in all species. Such
variation is especially prevalent in _S. puma_; for example one
individual (KU 87771; Tape No. 376) recorded at a temperature of 24 deg. C.
at 7.5 kilometers west of Puerto Viejo, Heredia Province, Costa Rica, on
July 31, 1964, produced three consecutive primary notes having upper
frequencies of about 6000, 4000, and 4000 cps., respectively. Apparently
in a given species the production of the higher frequencies in some
notes and not in others is correlated with the amount of distention of
the vocal sac and is not dependent upon the structure or tension of the
vocal cords.
Although the dominant frequency in _S. sordida_ is lower than that in
_S. baudini_ and _S. cyanosticta_, the call of the former is audibly
higher-pitched. This is due primarily to the emphasis on certain
harmonics at a high frequency (sometimes as high as 9000 cps.) in _S.
sordida_, whereas in _S. baudini_ and other species, if harmonics are
present at those frequencies, they are not emphasized.
The fundamental frequencies are as low as 90 cps. in _S. sila_ and _S.
sordida_ and as high as 200 cps. in _S. puma_ (Table 8). The fundamental
frequency seemingly is relatively unimportant in determining the general
pitch of the call, a characteristic most dependent on the dominant
frequency and emphasized harmonics in the higher-frequency spectrum. In
none of the species is the fundamental the dominant frequency. In the
low-pitched call of _S. phaeota_ the dominant frequency is the third
harmonic (the second harmonic above the fundamental frequency, which is
the first harmonic). In all other species a much higher harmonic is
dominant; for examples, in _S. cyanosticta_ harmonics from 10 to 15 are
dominant; in _S. baudini_, 15-19; and _S. sila_, 20-30.
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