A bird-like vocalization in a treefrog (Anura, Rhacophoridae): Analysis of advertisement call characteristics in Gracixalus weii
The genus Gracixalus is a group of small and medium-sized rhacophorid frogs for which many new species have been described recently, yet little is known about their biology. Gracixalus weii is a species recently described in Guizhou Province, China, whose acoustic characterization was lacking. The advertisement call has a central role in the reproduction of frogs. We present the first detailed acoustic description for G. weii based on recordings from six individuals obtained at the type locality, Leigongshan Nature Reserve. We collected and analyzed 182 calls, and classified them into two different types (Type A and Type B) based on their call structure and note composition. Type A calls (33 calls from two males) consist of an introductory note followed by two click notes, with a mean total duration of 726.59 ± 119.11 ms and a dominant frequency of 2.46 ± 0.10 kHz. Type B calls (149 calls from all six males) comprise an introductory note and a single click note, mean 481.07 ± 77.03 ms in call duration, with a mean dominant frequency of 2.58 ± 0.15 kHz. Both call types exhibit broad frequency ranges (2.0–21.0 kHz). Among individuals possessing both type A and type B calls, type A calls account for 41.9%–69.0% of the vocalizations, while type B calls comprise 31.0%–58.1%. We found that the type A advertisement call of G. weii is similar to the song structure of the thrush Turdus dissimilis. The complex spectral structure may suggest a case of evolutionary convergence between certain anurans and birds in the use of acoustic signals. The advertisement calls of G. weii are notably distinct from those of other known Gracixalus species. These differences provide acoustic evidence supporting the species taxonomic validity. Our findings underscore the value of bioacoustic data in species identification and contribute basic information for future study on the behavior, ecology, and diversity of the understudied Gracixalus genus.
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