Quantitative description of the vocal repertoire of the territorial olive frog Babina adenopleura from Taiwan

Anurans communicate using a repertoire of acoustic signals that can be classified as different call types based on differences in both their acoustic properties and the contexts in which they are produced. Descriptions of these repertoires represent a key first step towards understanding the vocal behaviour of any species and provide a critical foundation for comparative bioacoustic studies. In this study of the olive frog, Babina (formerly Rana) adenopleura, a territorial species from subtropical Taiwan, we used focal observations, acoustic recordings and statistical analyses of temporal, spectral and amplitude-related call properties to describe six different call types in the species' vocal repertoire. These call types included a putative advertisement call, territorial call, encounter call, amplectant call, distress call and alarm call. Advertisement calls consisted of four to five discrete notes, and they were the most commonly produced call. Territorial and encounter calls were delivered during inte...