The Complex Advertisement Call Characteristics of Pelophylax terentievi May Convey Physical Information

Advertisement calls convey individual information and play a vital role in amphibian reproduction. Body size is one of the key factors determining the diversity of frog advertisement calls. P. terentievi is distributed in mountainous areas across Tajikistan and Xinjiang, China. However, bioacoustic research on this species remains an unexplored field. In this study, the advertisement calls of 20 male frogs were recorded in the breeding season and six distinct call types were described based on spectrum morphology and auditory characteristics. The coefficient of variation analysis indicates some of their call types may serve as effective cues for individual recognition. Their advertisement calls exhibit a typical sentence structure and often conclude with a distinctive ending word. We also observed a distinct diel rhythm in their calls: advertisement calls begin before sunset, peak after sunset, and continue until noon. Furthermore, their acoustic parameters are significantly correlated with their head size, leg size and body weight. Males with larger heads and longer legs often make calls at higher frequencies, possibly to stand out in the louder chorus to enhance the efficiency of attracting females. This basic study can provide support for the behavioral and evolutionary biology research of Pelophylax species.