Take time to smell the frogs: vocal sac glands of reed frogs (Anura: Hyperoliidae) contain species-specific chemical cocktails
Author
Summary, in English
Males of all reed frog species (Anura: Hyperoliidae) have a prominent, often colourful, gular patch on their vocal sac, which is particularly conspicuous once the vocal sac is inflated. Although the presence, shape, and form of the gular patch are well-known diagnostic characters for these frogs, its function remains unknown. By integrating biochemical and histological methods, we found strong evidence that the gular patch is a gland producing volatile compounds, which might be emitted while calling. Volatile compounds were confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in the gular glands in 11 species of the hyperoliid genera Afrixalus, Heterixalus, Hyperolius, and Phlyctimantis. Comparing the gular gland contents of 17 specimens of four sympatric Hyperolius species yielded a large variety of 65 compounds in species-specific combinations. We suggest that reed frogs might use a complex combination of at least acoustic and chemical signals in species recognition and mate choice.(c) 2013 The Authors. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Linnean Society of London.
Department/s
Publishing year
2013
Language
English
Pages
828-838
Publication/Series
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
Volume
110
Issue
4
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Oxford University Press
Topic
- Zoology
Keywords
- Afrixalus
- Amphibia
- chemical communication
- Heterixalus
- histology
- Hyperolius
- gular gland anatomy
- pheromones
- Phlyctimantis
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0024-4066