I am currently trying to assess the population size of a non-native species here in England, the midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans). So far I have only found what I think are males (as they call) but I have noticed a difference in the kind of calls that are made by the toads.When I have looked at the calls using sonogram analysis software two different calls are distinguished. I was wondering if one could be from a male and the other from a female.
I have attached a sonogram which shows a short section of one of my recordings. Am I right in thinking that individual A is a male and individual B is a female returning his call?
I hadn't though of that. Even more possibilities I have to look into.
This is for A. cisternasii but you may find similar papers for A. obstetricans:
Female Courtship Call of the Iberian Midwife Toad (Alytes cisternasii)
Jaime Bosch and Rafael Márquez
Journal of Herpetology
Vol. 35, No. 4 (Dec., 2001), pp. 647-652
Thanks very much Benedikt, I will look into it more over the next few days.
you can find data here: Phonotaxis to advertisement calls by midwife toads
(Alytes muletensis) is not necessarily related to mating
Jerry Lea1, Mandy Dyson, Tim Halliday
Amphibia-Reptilia 23: 151-159
In Alytes obstectricans Heinzmann describes six functionnally different calls in males and two types in females. The two were a mating call and a distress call.
Heinzmann U. 1970. Untersuchungen zur Bio-Akustik un Okologie der Geburtshelferkröte, Alytes o. obstetricans (Laur.). Oecologia. 5. 19-55
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